Lufia: Shadow of the Sinistrals
by blanketcocoon
Summary: 100 years have passed since the third defeat of the Sinistrals at the hands of a descendant of Maxim. A growing evil looms over Eastland, where a red-haired mercenary by the name of Alix shall journey throughout the land to discover the rising threat, gather allies to stand against the terror, and learn the true nature of the Sinistrals' return.
1. Chapter 1: The Guardian

**Chapter One: The Guardian**

* * *

As the train rumbled and clattered along the tracks, Alix stood by the closed door, tapping his foot with his arms crossed.

"You could sit down, you know," said the brown-haired man behind him. Alix shook his head. "Alright then. We should be coming up to the closest spot in about a minute. I'll get the door open for you!"

The brown-haired man pulled a wrench out of his sleeveless lab coat and set to work upon a control box next to the door. "These doors aren't made to open while the train's moving…"

"Much like your train's not made to stop outside of a station?" Alix said.

"Right, right, I'm sorry, I never anticipated people riding my train because they wanted to be somewhere in the wilderness! Just hold on!"

The sound of breaking glass came from the control box. Alix kept an eye on the door, almost waiting for something to explode.

A second later, the door slid open. The land sweeped by in a verdant blur, the scattered trees on the plains flickering across Alix's sight.

"There you go!" the brown-haired man said, stepping away from the control box and brushing off his hands. "Good luck, Alix!"

"Thank you, Grant." Alix stepped into the doorway. The wind loosened his combed red hair, with a few strands fluttering in front of his eyes. The white spire of Carenis Shrine stood out in the darkness, the rest of the structure hidden behind a thick circle of trees. As he drew his sword from the sheath on his back, he said, "Take care!"

With a loud shout, Alix leapt from the train.

He tumbled as he hit the ground, coming to a stop on his back. A little rougher than he expected, even with how rough he expected anything involving Grant Shaia to be. His leather armour and chainmail vest were roughed up a little, but nothing serious. At least, he saw when he glanced to his side, he didn't break his sword falling. Ancient ruins usually had all kinds of monsters inside of and around them.

Once his body was a little less sore, Alix pushed himself up and returned his sword to his sheath before running towards the shrine. He didn't intend to spend any more time on this request than he needed, especially on monsters in the wilderness. It would take long enough to get back to Parthenope without Grant's train.

* * *

His travel through the circle of trees that surrounded Carenis Shrine passed without incident or hostile encounters. Soon, Alix stood before Carenis Shrine, a great round white structure that towered into the sky. The only place where the smooth walls changed were a pair of curved silver doors.

Alix walked to the doosr and pulled both open, entering into Carenis Shrine. The walls were the same smooth white surface as the outside of the tower. In the center of the circular chamber was a spiralling transparent staircase around a massive pillar that reached up to the ceiling, at least a hundred feet up. "No railing," Alix said to himself as he stepped forward. "I'd hate to miss my step up ther—"

The doors slammed shut behind him, their loud crash cutting off his sentence. "Damn," he said under his breath as he turned around. Who knew what he'd have to do to get that door open again? It didn't look like there was anything in this room that would trigger the doors…his only choice was that staircase.

After a minute of ascending the steps, Alix heard a loud click and the sound of sliding below him. "What was that?" The rumbling seemed to be growing steadily closer…

The stairs! He saw the steps below retracting into the column. Any fall or jump from the height he had already reached would certainly be fatal. Taking a deep breath, Alix started running up the stairs. Under the sounds of his steps, he could tell that the stairs were withdrawing faster and faster the higher he climbed. There was an opening in the ceiling at the end of the staircase…he had to hurry!

The final step slid into the wall a half-second after Alix's foot rose off of it. He fell onto the floor of the higher chamber as a translucent panel slid over the opening that he had entered through. As he pushed himself up, he looked around the chamber he now found himself in.

The ceiling was domed with a large round red crystal set into the center of the ceiling. A faint column of light rose from the floor into the crystal. Shrugging his shoulders, Alix walked towards the column of light.

As his body passed into the edge of the light, the light grew brighter before releasing a pulse of energy, launching Alix away from the column. Rising to his feet, Alix watched a figure materialize within the column of light.

A female voice echoed throughout the chamber. "_You should not be in this place. Leave at once and you shall be not harmed._"

He said nothing for a few seconds, only standing there with his mouth ajar. Once he gathered his composure, he drew his sword. "I'm here for the sword that lies within this shrine! Show me the way to it and then I will be on my way."

"_The sword within this place shall not be given to you. Leave this place now._"

"What will it take for me to get that sword?"

The figure's shape sharpened until the light surrounding it faded away. It looked like a beautiful woman with long white hair, clad in a silver cuirass that shone brilliantly and an ankle-length white skirt. On her left arm was a silver bracer and in her right hand was a silver sword with a blade wreathed in shining light.

Alix took a step back as she approached, holding her sword in both hands. "_You did not heed my warning. And now destruction shall come to you._"

Without even the slightest hint of anger or determination or any emotion on her face, she raised her sword and swung.

Alix raised his sword to parry the attack. Part of him was amazed that he was even able to stop this woman, whatever this being was—for the split-second before a pulse of energy from her blade sent him flying into the wall behind him.

The woman didn't wait until Alix had risen back up to charge at him. He rolled out of the way of the thrust of her sword, only to be blasted across the floor by the pulse of energy. Trying to push himself onto his feet, Alix narrowly tumbled back away from a downward slash that struck the floor. The blast of energy launched him off of the floor, several feet into the air.

When he crashed to the floor, he didn't have time to move an inch before the woman appeared in a flash of light over him. Her sword was pointed down over his chest. "I…I surrender!" Alix gasped, raising his hands. "Please…don't!"

The woman lifted her sword an inch. "_Your end shall not come here. Be gone from this place and never return. The weapon that lies here shall never fall into your hands._"

Then she plunged the blade straight through Alix's chest. His eyes grew wide as a scream tried to escape his throat.

The last thing he felt was the blade's energy pulse.

* * *

He felt tired, exhausted. Like he had slept for a week and even that had not eased his weariness.

When Alix opened his eyes, he remembered where he was. Carenis Shrine. But that woman of light…

Her last words echoed through his mind. _Your end shall not come here._ Perhaps he wasn't dead after all. As he lifted his head, he realized that he was no longer in the upper chamber. He was back right in front of the doors, which were now open. The center column's stairs were still retracted, leaving no way to return to the upper chamber.

Not that Alix wanted to return to that upper chamber. This job…wasn't worth it, he decided. The being that was up there was stronger than anything he had ever encountered in his Hunter career. Whatever its nature was, it was not worth fighting.

His sword was next to him. He stood up, then returned the weapon to his sheath. The last thing he wanted was to anger the being by remaining in this place. Alix headed out of the doors, not taking a single look behind him as he left.

Once he was outside, the doors began to close. The mighty slam behind him left ringing in Alix's ears, leaving him barely able to hear the words being shouted to him.

"…can't you hear me? Alix, over here! Come on!"

Alix turned to see Grant standing near the edge of the circle of trees. "Grant?" he said, running over to him. "What are you doing out here?"

Grant Shaia gave a sheepish grin. "As luck would have it…your luck, that is…my train's stopped not too far from where you jumped off."

"Your train stalled again, didn't it."

Grant scratched the back of his head. "Must have been when I messed around with that box to let you out. So I decided I'd wait until you returned and take you back to Parthenope."

"If you can get your train running again."

"I've gotten it working again every other time, have I not?" Grant grinned, this time with more of his usual enthusiasm. "Come on, let's get back."

As soon as Grant turned around, he let out a shout. "Goodness! A—a-a-a—"

Alix stepped around Grant to see what the scientist had seen. "It's just a red slime, Grant."

The crimson blob before them wobbled and hopped towards the two. "Wh-what do we do?" Grant asked, leaping back and pulling a wrench out of his lab coat.

Sighing, Alix said, "You can't even fight a red slime? Just stay back."

Drawing his sword, Alix waited for the slime to lunge at him. Their feeble strike was threatening only to an inexperienced and unarmoured adventurer. He grunted as it bounced off of him, then let out a cry as he slashed his sword through the blob. Within seconds, the slime lost its form and spread into a puddle on the ground.

"It's…it's dead?" asked Grant, peeking out from behind Alix.

"These things don't die," Alix said. "They aren't really alive anyway. They reform eventually, but this is a red slime. It'd still be a puddle by the time we finished walking back to Parthenope."

"Really? Fascinating!" Grant approached the puddle, poking the slime. "Perhaps I should hire you sometime to help me study creatures and to teach me what you know about them!"

"And maybe learn how to fight?" Alix said, putting his hands on his hips.

"Why? I've got—I'd _have_ you to watch over me."

Alix shook his head. "Can we get back to your train now? I know the repairs will take a while."

"Optimistic as always about my abilities, I see. Alright."

Once the two had started walking through the circle of trees, Grant asked, "So where's that treasure you came here to find? Any fascinating creatures in there you'd like to tell me about?"

"Well…"

"Something happen?"

"You could say that. I came upon some being of light or energy. When I asked for the sword I sought, it told me to leave. I persisted in questioning it, then it attacked."

"And you ran for it?"

Shaking his head, Alix said, "No, it defeated me. Easily. I thought it was going to kill me. It even plunged its sword into me. But then I awoke at the doors, uninjured." With another shake of his head, Alix added, "The job isn't worth it. That being radiated such power…"

"A being of light. Fascinating! Perhaps I could study it one day!"

"Do you have a death wish, Grant?"

"You're right, Alix. If you couldn't handle it, I'd die for sure."

Alix lowered his gaze to the floor. It had been years since he had been defeated by anyone. Even though he preferred his life over his pride, it still stung his ego to have been overwhelmed in battle like that, even by an otherworldly being.

It wouldn't be something he'd enjoy mulling over while Grant repaired the train.


	2. Chapter 2: Hunter's Duty

**Chapter Two: Hunter's Duty**

* * *

"We're almost back to Parthenope!" Grant shouted over the cacophony of the train's engine.

Alix said nothing, continuing to stare out of the window at the sunset that created golden auras around the tips of the tallest buildings and Parthenope Castle. The light reminded him of that being; it was all he could think about, its words, its power, its form.

"Cheer up, Alix!" Grant cried to him. "Everyone meets their match sometime! It's probably best that you met yours in a merciful opponent!"

_And yet it told me that my destruction shall come. Maybe it reconsidered killing me. I don't know why it would. Or it was just being dramatic._

"We'll be at the station in five minutes! Alix, I want to see you in my lab later tonight. Come talk to me when you're done with Hunter business."

"We'll see," Alix replied.

"Good enough!"

* * *

The Hunter's Guild of Eastland was centered in Parthenope, the largest city of Eastland. Their hall stood on the edge of the city, built there so its members could head out quickly after receiving their assignments.

Grant's laboratory, which Parthenope's train station had been built next to, was on the other side of the city. It gave Alix plenty of time to reflect on how harsh the Guildmaster's scolding would be for his failure.

The entrance hall of the Guild was empty save for two women talking to each other in the corner of the room. Alix paid no attention to them as he headed for the stairs to the Guildmaster's office.

The office was a small and cramped room, divided in half by the counter that Guildmaster Mia sat behind. Her green hair was slicked back, leaving the scar that ran vertically down her face over her right eye fully visible. Her robe was made of a viridian fabric that shone like metal. "Welcome back, Alix. I trust you've succeeded?"

With a frown, Alix shook his head. "No. I encountered some sort of guardian in the shrine which refused to let me have the sword I was asked to find. It…was far too powerful for me to fight."

"I see," said Mia. "Here is your pay. 1000 gold."

Alix stared at the coinpurse the Guildmaster placed on the table. "Full pay? But I failed to retrieve the sword."

"The client requested that you receive full pay whether or not you were able to recover the sword. They were quite adamant on it, even though it is not our usual policy."

"Who is the client?"

"The client asked to remain anonymous and I must respect that."

"That's not usual policy either."

Mia nodded. "The client was even more adamant on that."

"Hm." Taking the coinpurse, Alix said, "Then I'll be on my way."

"Safe travels, Alix," Mia said to him as he left her office.

Before Alix was halfway across the entrance hall, the door swung open. Two men clad in chainmail and plate charged in. "Hunters!" one shouted. "We have monsters approaching from the south! We request all available Hunters' assistance!"

"Understood!" Alix shouted in response to the guardsman. "I'll round up all of the Hunters here!"

One of the women in the corner stood up and ran over. "I'll help too!" she said.

Alix looked her over, from her fluffy black hair to the frilly bottom of her brown dress. "I don't think you're dressed for battle," he said while shaking his head.

"I came here to join the Hunters! I'll be fine!"

The other woman, who had shoulder-length white hair and a dress identical to her friend's other than its yellow colour, hurried over to them. "Sarah, no…" she said with wide eyes.

"I'll be fine, Muse," the black-haired woman said to her friend with a smile before turning back to Alix. "I'll run home and fetch my weapons! I'll be there!"

Sarah turned and ran out of the Guild hall. "Sarah!" Muse called, hurrying after her.

After a second of silence, Alix looked to the guards and said, "Alright, I'll alert the other Hunters."

* * *

As luck would have it, Alix was the only Hunter present in the Guild hall when the guardsmen had come. He ran through the street towards the south gate of Parthenope, wondering what kind of monsters were attacking this time. Probably more giant bugs, he thought.

Once he reached the south gate, he saw the guardsmen in battle with a horde of lizardmen. Each stood about five feet tall, clad in scale cuirasses and armed with round shields and spears. Though they were considered simple-minded and small beasts by most, Alix knew that their strength wasn't to be underestimated and that his blade would have trouble piercing their green carapace.

Drawing his sword, Alix charged at a group of three lizardmen focused on a lone guardsman. Rather than try his sword against their armour, Alix focused his thoughts, picturing a cool breeze winding about the three lizardmen. With a wave of his sword and a cry of "Frost!" a blast of ice erupted around the lizardmen. One collapsed from the spell while the other two turned their attention to Alix.

Both thrust their spears together at him. He tumbled to his side, avoiding one of the spears—and feeling one of them graze his leg. With a hiss, he rose up to see the lizardmen preparing for another attack. "Frost!" he screamed, focusing his magic on just one of them. The blast of ice sent the lizardman to the ground while the other lizardman lunged again.

Alix parried the lizardman's spear, then slashed thrice upon the lizardman's chest. The creature's armour absorbed most of the damage, though it didn't stop the lizardman from becoming enraged over the attacks. It responded with wide slashes and rapid lunges with its spear, all of which Alix parried or dodged.

_Enough of this,_ Alix thought. "Frost!"

It wasn't his strongest cast, but it was enough to finish off the lizardman. As it fell to the ground, he turned back towards the rest of the lizardman horde. There were fifteen left, with twelve guardsmen in combat with them. Tightening his hold on his sword, Alix charged into a lizardman from behind, smashing down on its head with the hilt of his sword before spinning his weapon around and plunging it into his knocked-out foe.

Another spear slashed at his leg. Alix growled, lashing out at the attacking lizardman. Three more were approaching him, faster than he'd be able to back away on his wounded, and his tactic of attacking from behind their formation had left him cut off from the guardsmen.

He knew what he had to do.

Alix focused his energy, but not as he had done to cast his ice magic. Rather, he pictured his energy as waves flowing around and back into himself, amplifying with each circulation. He felt his body trembling with the power he was welling up, preparing to unleash that energy…

As one of the lizardmen leaped at him, Alix let out a cry. "_Wave Slash!_"

A trail of red light appeared before him. Alix leapt through the energy light, extending his sword to his side as the energy flung him forward. His blade sliced through each of the three lizardmen with little resistance, each impact creating a pulse of light that blasted the lizardman onto its back.

When he came to a stop, landing in a crouch, he glanced back to see two of the lizardmen still on the ground…with the third slowly pushing itself back up.

"Hold on!"

Alix would have forgotten the voice had it not been from someone he had heard less than an hour ago. He turned towards the voice to see Sarah, the black-haired girl, running towards the battle.

She raised her hands, both holding a dagger, as soft azure light began to glow around them. With a twirl and a wave of her hands, the light leapt to several of the guardsmen. The guardsmen had been showing signs of weariness; now they fought on with greater resolve and vigour.

Alix forced himself to his feet, charging at the lizardman he had knocked down and striking it down before it could get back up. As he turned to the rest of the remaining lizardmen, he saw Sarah's magic float over to him. The pain of the wounds in his legs started to fade; he thought he could feel her spell mending the damaged skin within seconds.

His stance a little more steady now, Alix charged at the lizardmen formation's rear again. Unaware of his assault, several of the lizardmen fell before they realized he was attacking them—and once they turned to him, the guardsmen could strike at their backs.

Soon, only three lizardmen were left standing. With deep hisses, the lizardmen dropped their spears and started to flee. Though Alix wouldn't have minded fighting them all, it was best to let lizardmen survivors run off to warn their people that certain places were not worth invading.

He looked over to the guardsmen. None had fallen…and he suspected that Sarah, who stood behind their line, was partly to thank for that.

"Good work, Alix," said one of the guardsmen. "Even when only one of the Hunters is available, they're a great help. And the same to you, Miss…?"

"Sarah," the woman said with a smile as she slid her daggers into sheaths on her sides. She had changed from her brown dress into a grey outfit of a sleeveless shirt and skirt that hung just above her knees with a dark breastplate that covered the front of her upper torso, black gloves, and dark metal boots.

"Our healer couldn't make it to this battle," the guardsman continued. "Your assistance was invaluable. We'll make sure that you are compensated for your time and effort. The same for you, Alix. Now, we must return to our posts."

Alix stood still as the guardsmen returned to the city. Once they had passed through the south gate, Sarah said aloud, "So do you think I'd make a good Hunter now?"

He let a smile slip over his face. "I suppose. Not that you're dressed for battle _yet_."

"Some people dress to deflect attacks. I dress to _avoid_ them." Sarah gave a soft laugh. "But you will vouch for my abilities? You're standing right now because of them."

"Fine," Alix said, approaching her and extending his hand. "The name's Alix."

"Sarah," she said, taking his hand and giving a good shake. "I should get back to my friend. She's always so worried when I'm fighting. Until we meet again!"

Alix nodded. Her smile grew as she turned and ran back into Parthenope. His vanished as soon as she had turned away.

He looked at the bodies of the fallen lizardmen. Creatures like these attacking cities like Parthenope had been rare in the past, perhaps once every two months. This was the third attack this month—on Parthenope. Over the past month, he had been called away many times to defend many of the smaller towns in the area from monster hordes. From what he had heard from other Hunters, many people were moving to the larger cities of Eastland out of fear of monsters.

Still, he thought, shaking his head as if to clear out those thoughts, there was no reason to be pondering why that was out here. Grant still wanted to see him; he could return and report to Guildmaster Mia later. Heavens knew what kind of insanity Grant wanted him in his laboratory for this time.


	3. Chapter 3: A New Job

**Chapter Three: A New Job**

* * *

Alix knocked on the doors of the large brick building that had been converted into Grant's laboratory. After a minute and several repeated knocks, Alix shook his head and pulled the door open.

As soon as he stepped inside, something exploded on the other side of the laboratory. "Heavens, Grant!" Alix shouted, raising an arm over his face. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" Grant's voice cried out from the billowing smoke. "Everything went according to plan!"

Alix didn't want to know what Grant's "plan" had been. He glanced around the laboratory space, at all of the strange machines around the room and on the walls. None of Grant's machines made any sense to him and he couldn't help but to wonder how many didn't make sense even to Grant. "I'll take your word for it. Grant, what did you want me here for?"

"That!" Grant said, gesturing to the source of the explosion.

"What?"

"That machine! It was a device built to analyze energy waves across Eastland. It detected an anomaly in energy waves near the village of Tarpal to the south."

"An anomaly?" Alix asked, staring at the ruined device as the smoke started to clear. "What do you mean?"

"I'm afraid I don't know. The device exploded before I could get a reading."

"Were the energy waves in that area strong?"

"I don't know. My device wasn't able to gather dormant readings. It could only register changes in the waves."

Glancing down to the floor and shaking his head, Alix said, "That sounds useless. Like most of your inventions."

"It detected this disturbance, did it not? I'm not familiar with the Tarpal region, but I want to investigate whatever it could be."

"And you're looking for a Hunter to accompany you, correct?"

"You won't work for free?"

"With you, Grant, I expect to be paid in full immediately."

Grant let out a laugh. "Don't worry about payment, Grant. You can expect a handsome reward for this work. I have a station not too far from Tarpal, in the town of Lyons. We'll take my train and walk the distance."

"And what am I being paid?"

"5000 gold. That sounds good?"

Raising an eyebrow, Alix said, "That's a lot more than I usually get from a job."

"I wouldn't pay anyone else nearly as much. How often do you risk your life for me?"

"How often do I ride on your train?" Alix asked with a smile.

Grant raised an eyebrow. "My train is the safest of my inventions! It may have problems, but it never hurt anyone!"

"Yet." Grant's efforts to reassure him always made him less confident in his inventions. "I'll take the job."

"Excellent!" Grant walked over and gave Alix a handshake. "Do let the Hunter's Guild know that I'm hiring you. I'll see you in the morning."

With a nod, Alix said, "Good night."

As he turned and walked away, Alix heard Grant said under his breath, "Good to see you _nodding_ for once…"

* * *

By the time Alix had returned to the Hunter's Guild hall, Guildmaster Mia and the rest of the Hunters present had gone to bed. Alix found a free bed in the hall bedrooms and slept for the night.

In the morning, Alix walked into the Guildmaster's office. Mia stared out of the window in between scribbling lines on the paperwork before her. "Alix," she said, glancing up at him before returning her eyes to the paperwork. "A member of the city guard sent word about your assistance fending off the lizardmen last night, along with a reward for you. Here."

She handed him a small coinpurse. "Guildmaster," Alix said, "I've taken a job for Grant Shaia and shall be leaving once I return to his laboratory."

"Very well," Mia said, not looking up from her paperwork. "The best of luck to you."

"And…a woman by the name of Sarah may come during my absence. She assisted against the lizardmen as well, supporting the guardsmen and I with healing magic. I told her I would vouch for her abilities."

"Do you?"

Alix crossed his arms. "Her healing magic was certainly helpful, though I did not see whether she could handle herself in a fight."

"I understand," Guildmaster Mia said with a nod. "I will have someone test her should she apply, though her healing talents shall be more than welcome in the Guild. Good luck on your task, Alix."

"Thank you, Guildmaster." With a small nod, Alix turned and departed from the Guildmaster's office.

* * *

Neither Alix nor Grant had much to say when they met at his train station in the morning. Once both were on board, the engine started to roar as the train pulled out of Parthenope.

Night had fallen by the time that the train arrived at the Lyons station. The train station stood some distance from the wooden walls of Lyons—though, Grant told Alix, they claimed that their reason for keeping the station out of the town was to avoid having holes in their town walls, Grant didn't have any doubt that the actual reason was the noise that the train produced.

The two purchased supplies and rested for the night in Lyons, then headed into the woods west of Lyons. Despite being more fortified than most of the settlements of Eastland, the land around Lyons was rather peaceful. The only hostile creatures in the area were red slimes and blacksnakes—though venomous, the blacksnake's bite was sluggish and fighting one was a simple matter of avoiding its strike and ending it with one counterblow.

They stopped in the village of Tarpal, a small place with only nine buildings in total, only to consult with the villagers about any unusual places in the area. The village chief, a stout man who stammered with every word he spoke to the two, told Alix and Grant of a nearby cavern that shared its name with the village, Tarpal Cavern. Some sort of device kept wanderers out of the cave, and travelers who grew obsessed with Tarpal Cavern eventually vanished, never returning to the village.

On Alix's insistence and promise that he would report any "fascinating" finds, Grant remained behind in Tarpal while Alix ventured to the south to Tarpal Cavern. The entire trip was spent thinking about the device that the chief had mentioned…and Alix's hopes that it wouldn't be some sort of convoluted puzzle.

The entrance to Tarpal Cavern was nestled at the end of a small valley, an indistinct opening in a rock wall. Alix almost missed it, though the sign before it that read _Tarpal Cavern_ alerted him to the entrance's presence.

As he stepped inside, Alix's eyes came upon three stands before a stone slab. Each of the stands held a translucent sphere, each one a different colour: red, blue, and yellow.

Alix approached the three spheres, then looked down on the slanted slab before him. There were words at the bottom of the slab, above where three crystalline chutes converged into one translucent container. The chutes each looked about as wide as the holes below each of the spheres.

It confirmed Alix's fear: this was indeed some sort of puzzle.

With a sigh, he looked upon the words on the slab. The text was written in an ancient language of Eastland, one that he had learned in his travels. Knowing how to read the words of the ruins' creators was invaluable in avoiding traps and overcoming obstacles.

The text read: _First came lightning, igniting a great oak into flame in a flash. The fire burned away the great ice age after one second, bringing life from chaos._

He glanced up at the three spheres. "Yellow, red, blue," he said to himself as he walked back up to the stands that the spheres rested on. "Alright, let's try this."

Alix first dropped the yellow sphere into the hole beneath its stand, then the red and blue spheres into their holes. The sound of the spheres rolling through whatever chutes were concealed within the slab continued as Alix hurried to the end of the chutes.

The first sphere to drop was the blue sphere…followed by the yellow sphere. The red sphere hadn't even appeared before the other two spheres vanished with a flash of light, reappearing upon their stands along with the red sphere.

A groan left Alix as he returned to the stands. Timing was key, it seemed. This time, he dropped the yellow sphere into the hole below it, then the red, then waited a few seconds before dropping the blue sphere into its hole.

When he came to the other end of the slab, Alix watched the yellow sphere land first. The other two spheres were still inside the hidden chutes when they were reset back upon their stands.

Biting his lip, Alix reread the text. _In a flash_…_after one second_…evidently he needed to not only time them to land in sequence, but also to have them land quickly one after the other.

"Dammit," he said to himself, heading for the exit. It wasn't too far to Tarpal, and perhaps Grant would have an idea how to work this puzzle.

* * *

Though Alix had expected indignance over being dragged into the cavern, Grant instead bore a wide smile during the entire trip and as he entered Tarpal Cavern. "I think your interpretation is right, Alix," Grant said as he looked over the three spheres. "Yellow first, red second, blue third. Landing with little delay between them. Let me try something…."

Grant started with the blue sphere, dropping it into the hole below its stand. He followed this with the yellow and red spheres, dropping them into their respective holes.

Alix, kneeling at the end of the chutes, watched the red sphere come out first. "How does this thing work?" he growled as the sphere vanished and reappeared on its stand along with the others.

"Which was the first to land?" asked Grant, inspecting the spheres.

"The red one. I have no idea how long each of the chutes are."

"Let me try something…"

Alix watched Grant repeat the exact same process, with barely any change in timing.

His eyes widened when he saw the yellow sphere come out, followed almost immediately by the blue sphere landing on top of it. "Grant! The yellow and blue ones came first this time!"

Rubbing his chin, Grant looked upon the three spheres atop their stands. "Alix, come up here! I think I have an idea."

Grant took the yellow sphere and held it above its respective hole. As Alix approached, Grant said, "Grab those other spheres. As soon as I drop them into this hole, put the red and then blue into the same hole."

"You think that'll work?"

"Magic is making the spheres reappear back up here. And I think magic or something is changing the paths each hole leads, making them shorter or longer. It's the only explanation for how doing the exact same thing twice led to completely different outcomes. Ready?"

His theory made sense, Alix had to admit. "Ready."

Grant dropped the yellow sphere into the hole under its stand, then moved his hands out of the way to let Alix drop the red and blue spheres into the same hole.

The two ran down to the other end of the slab. The yellow sphere tumbled down one of the chutes into the container, followed by the red and blue spheres coming down the same chute. Both fell on top of the yellow sphere, forming yellow-red-blue from bottom to top.

The cavern started to shake. "I guess we did something!" Grant shouted, holding onto the stone slab.

Alix looked to the door that led deeper into the cave. It started to slide open, lowering into the floor. "Looks like that did it," he said, smiling as he looked to Grant. "Good wor—"

As the door finished opening wide, a colossal slam echoed from behind them.

"What was that?" Grant said, glancing over his shoulder.

The two looked to the entrance. A giant stone slab had slid down, covering the passageway out of the cave.

"Oh no," Grant uttered, glancing all around the chamber. "What did I do? What did I do?"

"You solved the puzzle," Alix said. "And it seems like solving it has opened the way forward…and closed the way back."

"No, no, no…" Grant stepped towards Alix. "You'll watch over me, right Alix? That's your job, right? I-I can't fight!"

"You never know. What's inside of here might be easy enough even for you. Just smash things with your wrench."

With a shaking hand, Grant pulled out a wrench. "I…I'll do what I can, I suppose."

Alix shook his head as he turned to the passage leading on. This would be a good time for Grant to learn how to fight…but Alix suspected that Grant by his side would be worse than no one at all.


	4. Chapter 4: Tarpal Cavern

Every time Alix glanced back to Grant, the scientist was trembling even more. They hadn't even come upon any creatures in the winding tunnels yet.

The two continued on, Alix leading the way. Soon, the tunnel opened out into a larger stone chamber—one that contained three red slimes hopping about.

"A-Alix!" Grant shouted, gripping his wrench in both hands.

His cry alerted the three slimes to their presence. "There's nothing to fear, Grant. Go on, hit one. I'm sure you could beat one with a wrench."

"Isn't fighting _your_ job?" Grant's eyes grew wide.

"I can't protect you from every angle, can I?"

With a sigh, Grant said, "You're right…I'm in this with you. And this is—this is an experiment! En garde, slimes!"

Grant charged forth, bringing his wrench down upon the closest of the three slimes. The blob caved again and again as Grant wailed on it with his tool, grunting with each strike.

The other two red slimes advanced slowly upon Grant. "Look out," Alix said with a small smile.

"Huh?" Grant looked over his shoulder, shortly before the two slimes on his sides bounced into him, knocking him onto the slime he had been beating on. With a soft squelch, the slime underneath Grant spread into a puddle while the scientist flailed his limbs. "Aaahhh! Alix, help!"

Sighing and shaking his head, Alix readied his sword before walking forward. Before the two remaining red slimes could pounce onto Grant, Alix sliced through both of them, leaving both of them as red pools on the ground.

"It's _sticky_!" Grant screamed. Alix grabbed him by the collar and yanked him onto his feet. "Gosh, that was…was not…"

"Fascinating?" said Alix with a grin.

Grant shook his head while rolling his eyes. "Let's get going. Maybe there'll be some puzzles I can do while you beat on the slimes."

The two headed on, entering into the passage on the other side of the fallen slimes.

As Alix and Grant pressed on deeper into Tarpal Cavern, they fought their way through more red slimes. The two fought together, Alix drawing the slimes' attentions and dealing with most of them while Grant spent entire fights whacking a single slime with his wrench. The more they fought, Alix noticed, the fewer wrench strikes Grant needed to vanquish each slime. Perhaps he was gaining some experience from this after all, though he wasn't getting any less frantic and nervous.

Soon, the two walked into a room with a wide pit that divided the chamber. Two posts stood on each side, as if a bridge had been in place spanning the pit. On the other side of the pit was a silver door, one that immediately reminded Alix of the entrance of Carenis Shrine. If Grant noticed the similarity, he didn't say a word about it.

"Doesn't look like there's any way across," Grant said. Watching Alix approach the edge of the pit, he shouted, "Careful!"

Alix stared down into the pit. All he could see was darkness. "That's quite a drop…" he said to himself as he looked at the gap between the two sides.

"You're not thinking…" Grant uttered as Alix took a few steps back and lined himself up with the posts on each side.

"Sometimes you just need to take a leap." Grinning, Alix started running for the pit.

Grant immediately averted his eyes.

As he drew closer to the pit, Alix bent down…and then smacked his hand against the thin air over the pit between the posts on each side.

He chuckled as Grant screamed. "Grant, Grant," he said, turning to the scientist, "it's fine. Look." Straightening himself up, Alix started to walk across the invisible bridge, soon arriving on the other side. "Invisible bridges are quite common."

"Re-really?" Grant inched himself towards the edge of the pit, staring into the abyss where the invisible bridge laid. Lowering himself to his hands and knees, Grant started to crawl across the gap, still staring down into the darkness. "I know you're shaking your head now!"

Grant was right about that. Once he was across, Alix extended a hand and helped Grant to his feet. "I think we're almost done here," he said, turning to the silver door. "Ready?"

"No!" Grant said, unsteady on his legs.

"Too bad. Unless you're already ready to go back across that bridge?"

Letting out a sigh, Grant said, "Never again, Alix. Let's get going." He approached the door, inspecting the surface as he took hold of the handle. "An interesting metal…could it be zircon? Or alumina? I wonder who made it."

"Just open it."

With a nod, Grant pulled the door open, hiding behind it until Alix approached.

Alix held his sword at the ready as he led the way through the door. The chamber within was perfectly circular, without a single visible ridge in the stone wall.

"Fascinating…" Grant said. Alix saw that Grant was staring at the center of the ceiling, which Alix himself looked towards.

The domed ceiling was quite familiar…and even more so was the large round crystal set in the ceiling. This one was a faint yellow.

"Grant," Alix said, his eyes wide. "This room is almost identical to the one in Carenis Shrine, with that guardian!"

A loud crash echoed through the chamber. Neither of them needed to look behind them to the source of the sound, which they knew was the door closing.

Pointing to the crystal, Grant said, "It's coming loose!"

The crystal started to shake and glow with yellow light. After a few seconds, the crystal fell to the floor. Alix and Grant raised their arms over their faces, though neither felt a single shard strike them.

When they looked again, they saw that three pieces had broken off of the crystal. "W-what's going on, Alix?" Grant said, stepping behind Alix.

The four chunks of crystal started to levitate off of the ground. The three smaller pieces flew to the edges of the room, then started to move clockwise around the room. A column of faint light appeared around the central large piece of crystal as the crystal began to glow.

"Be careful, Grant!" Alix said, focusing his energy while trying to sense what kind of power the crystal radiated. It was far weaker than the guardian of Carenis Shrine, though there was still a remarkable energy radiating from it—energy waves that were growing faster—

"Grant, move!" Alix shoved Grant to the side, then leapt in the opposite direction just as a lightning bolt erupted from the central crystal. The lightning struck the sealed door, only missing Alix by inches.

"H-h-heavens!" cried Grant, watching one of the smaller crystals approaching him. "What is this?"

Alix said nothing as he pushed himself off of the ground. Holding his sword in both hands, he let out a loud scream as he flung himself at the center crystal. Once his sword struck the column of light surrounding the center crystal, a pulse of energy erupted from the crystal, knocking him off of his feet. "Dammit!" he cried as he pushed himself back up.

As the smaller crystal drew closer and closer, Grant raised up, holding his wrench in his shaking hand. "Get back!" he cried, striking the crystal once it was within reach.

The crystal fell to the floor, becoming still. The column of light around the center crystal flickered. "That weakened the barrier!" Alix said as the fallen crystal lifted back into the air and resumed rotating about the room. "Grant, we need to hit those crystals! You take two of them, I'll handle the third and strike the center one!"

"R-right!" Grant replied, watching Alix rush at one of the other crystals as a fireball from the center crystal flew over his head. Grant shouted out as he struck the nearby crystal, knocking it down.

Alix's sword brought a second crystal to the ground. Glancing over to see Grant about to strike the third crystal, Alix charged at the center crystal, his sword lifted over his head.

The barrier disappeared as soon as he heard Grant's wrench smashing the crystal. Less than a second later, Alix brought his sword down on the center crystal. The center crystal buckled and nearly fell onto the floor, but started to rise up again.

Alix leapt back as the barrier reformed, with the three smaller crystals floating once more. A lightning bolt fired from the center crystal, striking Alix center in the chest. The impact sent Alix reeling, almost knocking him over. "Gaaahhh!"

"Alix!" Grant cried, looking to Alix. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" Alix took slow and heavy breaths through gritted teeth. "Once more!"

His steps were a little slower now, but Alix was still able to chase down one of the smaller crystals and knock it down. When Grant knocked down the last of the smaller crystals, Alix let out a scream as he charged again.

His sword crashed into the side of the crystal. Alix leapt back, looking at the flickering light within the yellow crystal. Its energy waves were becoming unstable, expanding and contracting around it rapidly—

"Grant, take cover!" Alix shouted, diving to the ground away from the crystal.

Mere seconds after he landed, the central crystal exploded with a massive pulse of energy. Alix felt the force passing over him—and heard a thud and a grunt on the other side of the room.

When the energy faded away, Alix pushed himself to his feet. Grant was against the wall on the opposite side, slumped against the wall. "Grant! Grant, are you alright?" he shouted, limping over to him.

Grant lifted his head, then put his hands on both sides of his head and gave his head a shake. "I'm fine, I think. Just got the wind knocked out of me, that's all…" He stood up, unsteady at first. "Alix, you're hurt!"

"Just…" Alix fell to one knee, extending a hand. "…potion, please."

Grant pulled out a bottle of blue liquid and handed it to Alix, who took it and drunk the potion in one swig. Most people hated the taste of potions, but Alix didn't mind the cacophony of herbal flavours. By the time he was back on his feet, most of the pain from the thunderbolt had ebbed away.

He turned to Grant, who knelt by the dust from the destroyed crystal. "Fascinating!" he said. "I'm taking some of this with me."

Alix looked to the three smaller crystals, which were now motionless but still intact on the floor. "You want these other crystals?"

"Certainly." Grant put a stopper on the vial he had gathered crystal dust into, then took the three smaller crystals when Alix handed them to him.

Once Grant had put the crystals into his lab coat, the two looked to the door. It had opened sometime when they had not been looking. "Wonderful," Grant said before looking around the room. "Could this have been the source of the disturbance?"

"I don't know, Grant," Alix said, shaking his head. "There wasn't much power coming from that crystal."

"Perhaps something was here, but was taken away. We might never know." After a brief pause, Grant smiled and added, "Come, let's get out of here. And Alix…never ask me to come into places like these with you ever again."

"Noted." Alix had to admit, Grant hadn't handled himself badly at all.

Before the two walked out of the room, Alix looked back to the shattered crystal. This room was so much like Carenis Shrine, though if this were its guardian, it was nothing like the being he had encountered before in nature or power.

Perhaps it was the guardian of some lesser treasure…though it didn't seem like there was any treasure here.

Still, Grant had had enough of this place. There would be plenty of time to think about this place on the return trip to Parthenope.


	5. Chapter 5: A Mercenary Duel

Their trip back to the train station near Lyons passed without a word from either Alix or Grant. It was only once the train was on its way back to Parthenope that Alix spoke what was on his mind.

Taking Grant out of the front car and away from the roars of the engine, Alix said to him, "I think there was something in that chamber. Something that must have been taken before we arrived."

"I don't doubt it," Grant replied, sitting down in one of the train's seats. "You said that that being in Carenis Shrine guarded the sword you were sent to retrieve? Perhaps what was kept in there was some sort of weapon."

"Then…" Alix's eyes lowered to the floor. "…then who sent me to Carenis Shrine, if the sword there was some kind of powerful weapon?"

"With how simple that crystal was, perhaps whatever it guarded wasn't as strong as whatever was at Carenis Shrine."

"Then that makes me even more curious about what's in Carenis Shrine. And whoever sent me there."

"You don't know?"

Alix shook his head. "The Hunter's Guild normally informs us about our clients. But the Guildmaster said that the client wished to remain anonymous. I've never had an anonymous job with the Guild before."

Grant stood back up as Alix leaned against the wall, continuing to stare at the floor. "Perhaps we should take another trip to Carenis Shrine? Maybe that guardian will be nicer to me!"

"You're mad," Alix said with a shake of his head.

"Of course." Grant gave a wave of his hand as he returned to the engine room, leaving Alix alone to his thoughts.

* * *

The train rolled into Parthenope at sunset. Grant returned to his laboratory while Alix spent the night at the Hunter's Guild hall.

In the morning, Alix walked out of the Guild bedrooms. The first face he saw as he returned to the entrance room was Grant's. "Good morning, Grant," Alix said. "What brings you here?"

"Paperwork," said Grant. "Just letting your boss know about the job you did for me. Stop by my laboratory later today so I can give you your pay."

"Alright. Until then, Grant." Alix wondered if Grant had learned anything about the dust and crystals they had found, though he didn't expect all that much from rocks.

After he walked out of the Guild hall, Alix headed into Parthenope. The city was full of life on this sunny morning, with many people in the clean streets. The buildings of Parthenope were pale colours, with flat rooves edged with white ridges. As Alix wandered into the city center, he looked upon the great stone mermaid fountain. The mermaid sat upon a rock, her long and thick hair wreathed around her torso. In her hands was a lute, pointed upwards with the water launching into the air from the tip of the lute's head.

A voice interrupted his observation of the fountain. "Alix!"

He turned around to see Sarah walking up to him, dressed in a white tunic and skirt. She bore a small frown on her face. "Sarah," he said, smiling. "Have you signed up for the Hunter's Guild?"

"Uh, Alix…" she said. Once she had finished approaching, she asked, "Alix, have you seen my friend, Muse?"

"Muse? Muse…Muse…"

"She was the white-haired girl I was with at the Hunter's Guild. Do you think you've seen her today?"

"I don't think so."

Sarah took a deep breath, then said, "If you do, could you please let me know? Tell her that I'm looking for her."

"Lost in the city?"

"She's lived here all of her life." Alix noticed her eyes moving away from him. "She was supposed to see me earlier this morning, and she's not at home."

"I see. If I come across her, I'll let her know you're looking for her."

With a deep exhale, Sarah said, "Thank you! I've got to keep looking." She turned and ran off down the street Alix had come from.

Alix turned his attention back to the mermaid fountain. He barely remembered what Sarah's friend looked like, though he knew very few people who had white hair and all of them were elderly. He'd keep an eye out, he decided.

With Sarah's request in mind, Alix made his way to the market district. The market square often had travelling merchants setting up stands, and Alix had heard from other Hunters that his favourite merchant would be present today.

It took him a minute to cross through the crowds in the square, but he soon came to the corner of the square where a display of weapons was placed against the walls of two buildings. The merchant, a man with a thick grey mustache and head of hair, cried, "Welcome, welcome! You look like one of them Hunters! Tell me what catches your eye."

Alix had already decided on what he wanted. "May I see that two-handed sword there?"

The merchant handed the two-handed sword to Alix. It was a simple five-foot steel sword with a plain hilt and guard. "2500 gold for that beauty."

"Well-balanced," Alix said, grinning as he held the sword in both hands, tilting it left to right. "Not too heavy, either. Perfect. I'll take it."

* * *

As he walked away from the market square, he heard a man behind him shout out, "Alix!"

Alix turned around to see a man walking out from the market crowd. The first thing that caught Alix's eyes was the man's bushy and spiky mane of blue hair with two locks hanging down on each side of his eyes. The second was the two swords sheathed on the back of the man's leather vest. Underneath that vest was a white shirt that matched his tight pants. The man stood with a finger pointed at Alix and a wide grin on his face.

"Yes, my name is Alix," Alix replied, staring at the man's finger. "Who are you?"

"Ah, about time I found you!" the blue-haired man exclaimed. "Too many red-heads in Parthenope!"

"Uhhh…"

"I've heard you're the strongest Hunter in this city! And I wish to challenge your strength!"

Alix could only blink for a few seconds before saying, "And who are you?"

Thumping his fist against his chest, the blue-haired man shouted, "My name is Decker, and in my blood is the spirit of the strongest warriors who ever lived!"

His right hand reached for one of the swords, which he drew and brandished before him. It was a narrow blade with a curved tip, the guard looking like a pair of dragon wings. "Dekar!" Decker took hold of his other sword in his left hand and swung it before him. The second sword was wider with an end that resembled a spearhead and a pommel with a hole in the center that reminded Alix of an anchor. "And Deckard!"

A crowd had begun to form around Alix and Decker. Alix looked at the people around them, the buildings, even the stones of the street. The last thing he wanted to acknowledge was this man.

"So what say you, Alix?" Deckar said, returning the two swords to their sheaths. "Do you accept my challenge?"

Shaking his head, Alix said, "No."

Decker's eyes widened. "You…you can't refuse my challenge!"

"Yes, I can. I have better things to do with my day."

A few people in the crowd started walking away. "Are you a coward?"

"No, but you are an idiot and I have better things to do." Alix turned and started walking away with a scowl on his face.

Decker ran ahead of Alix, stopping a few feet in front of him. "Please! One mercenary to another! Accept my challenge!"

His eyes shut tight, Alix said, "You're going to keep hounding me, aren't you?"

"Is that what it will take for you to fight me?"

"If you will, then fine. Follow me out of the city."

Pumping his fist, Decker shouted, "Perfect! Now you shall see my strength!"

* * *

None of the people who had watched the two in the city came to see the duel between the two outside of the eastern gate, near the Hunter's Guild hall. "So why do you want to fight me, Decker?"

"You shall have to defeat me to find out!" Decker drew his swords, twirling them around him. "You shall not stand against the might of the Dekar Blade! And the Deckard Bl—"

The sword in his left hand slipped out of his fingers, landing tip-first in the ground. "Oops!" Decker shouted, picking up the Deckard Blade.

Alix closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He found himself wishing that this man would provide more of a challenge that he was now expecting.

"Draw your weapon, Alix!" Decker said, pointing his right sword—the Dekar Blade—at Alix.

Alix drew his new two-handed sword and held it at the ready.

"And now…time! _Hiyaaahhh_!"

Decker charged forward with impressive speed, both swords swinging down at Alix. Alix braced himself and lifted his sword to parry the strikes.

The two swords struck his blade…rather weakly.

And Decker continued to strike again and again at Alix's raised sword.

The look on Alix's face shifted from determination to narrowed eyes and lowered eyebrows. Decker let out great shouts with each blow; he might have been putting more effort into his cries than his attacks.

Alix let Decker continued trying to hack his way through his guard for about thirty strikes, then waited until the period between strikes to kick Decker square in the chest. Both of his blades fell out of his hands as Decker fell flat onto the ground.

"I knew you were a waste of time," Alix said, looking over his fallen opponent. "Have you even trained a day in your life?"

"You're…very strong!" Decker said.

"Since I've defeated you," Alix said as he slid his new sword onto his back, "tell me why you fought me."

"I was asked to fight you to see your skills!"

"By who?" Alix thought it over for a few seconds, then decided to extend his hand to Decker.

Decker pushed himself up on his own. "I can't say! The man who hired me didn't say his name!"

Alix raised an eyebrow. Could it have been the same person who hired him to find a sword in Carenis Shrine? "What did this man look like?"

"He wore a hooded robe. I don't know what he looks like!"

"…what did this man pay you?"

"He hasn't, yet! I have to fight you before I get paid!"

Sighing and shaking his head, Alix said, "Where did you get this job?"

"A city in Southland! That's where I'm from! The man who hired me said that he would find me here to pay me!"

There were no words Alix could find. Decker continued to stare at him. "Alix, are you alright? Did I hurt you?"

"You did not hurt me, Decker. If you want paying jobs…and training…I suggest you visit the Hunter's Guild over there. They can find you work and help you become a stronger fighter."

"If it means I'll become as strong as you, then I shall!" Decker picked up his swords and returned them to their sheaths. "Thank you for the advice, Alix! I'll see you around!"

With a wave, Decker turned around and sprinted off to the Hunter's Guild hall. At least he could run quite fast. Perhaps Decker could find work as a courier, Alix thought.

Now that his business with Decker was concluded, Alix started back towards the city. He had hoped that Decker would know more about the person who hired him, but it seemed that Decker was not the wisest man. Alix thought it was too much of a coincidence that two anonymous jobs revolved around him.

Nothing else in his mind, Alix started back towards the city gate. He noticed someone running out of the city, quickly recognizing who it was: Sarah. She was dressed in her armour, with both blades in hand. The closer she came, the more Alix noticed on her face—wide eyes, frantic breathing.

Alix knew what she was so worried about. "Did you learn anything about your friend?" he asked as she approached.

"Alix!" Sarah screamed. "Alix, someone's kidnapped Muse!"


	6. Chapter 6: The Bandits

Alix could see streaks on Sarah's face; her eyes were still watery. "Sarah, what did you find?" he asked.

"I spoke with the city guard!" she said, panting in between sentences. "They captured someone from…from a local bandit gang! The prisoner said that they had some girl and was planning to sell her to some noble! He said their boss told them to find a young white-haired girl—it has to be Muse!"

She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth, shaking as if she was about to burst into tears. "Alix, please come with me! I'll pay you anything you want! Help me save Muse!"

"No payment's needed," he said. Sarah's lips parted slightly. "Do you know where these bandits could have taken Muse?"

"I-I-I-I don't know!" Sarah pressed her hands against her eyes. "All the bandit said was that their boss mentioned that some other guy had been hired, that he had been told not to mess with him!"

"Who?"

"Some…some blue-haired idiot! He didn't say a name…"

Alix's eyes widened, then his eyebrows lowered. "Come, Sarah," he said, running towards the Hunter's Guild hall.

"Alix?" she asked, chasing him into the Guild hall.

When he stepped inside with Sarah right behind, Decker was pacing around the entrance chamber. "Decker!" Alix screamed, making a straight line towards the man.

"Huh?" said Decker, leaping back as Alix tried to grab him by the collar. Alix followed up by ramming Decker into the wall behind him before taking hold of his collar. "What's going on?"

"Some bandits may have this woman's friend," Alix snarled, keeping his teeth bared to let Decker know he wasn't to be taken lightly. "One of them said you were working for their boss."

"Alix, I swear I'm not working for bandits!" Decker tried to push Alix off of him. "Which bandit band?"

"The bandit had a leather patch on his shoulder," Sarah said, glaring at Decker. "The guardsman I spoke with believes it is a symbol of that bandit gang."

"I know those guys!"

"How?" Alix almost rammed Decker into the wall again, but stopped himself.

"One-one of them stole the Dekar Blade from me! So I fought my way through their den! I didn't help them with this, I swear!"

Alix doubted his story, but didn't want to waste time challenging it. "Where is their den?"

"To the east! There's a ruined tower, the entrance is in the center! It's the basement of an old manor. That's all I know, I swear!"

Alix let go of Decker, who fell to the floor, panting. "If you are involved, Decker, you'll be wishing I had finished you off earlier."

"Please, Alix, let's get going!" Sarah cried.

As Alix and Sarah started for the door, Decker shouted, "They've kidnapped her friend? Let me help!"

"Forget it!" Alix snapped at him before following Sarah out of the Guild hall.

The two started running east. "Who is that man?" asked Sarah.

"Some idiot named Decker," Alix answered. "Someone hired him to fight me. He's barely trained."

"May…maybe the same people who hired these bandits to kidnap Muse?"

"Could be. Let's hurry!"

* * *

Their travel took them some distance away from Parthenope; the city was only barely visible on the horizon once they arrived at the old ruins. True to Decker's word, there was the remnant of a stone tower in a large field. As they climbed over the ruined wall, the two saw a trapdoor in the ground.

Sarah didn't hesitate to pull open the trapdoor and leap down into the darkness. "Hold on!" Alix shouted, quickly descending the ladder down into the hole.

A short distance down the stone corridor the two found themselves in, torches illuminated the way. Most of the halls had caved in, Alix and Sarah saw as they ran along the way, leaving a single path for the two to take.

"I swear, if that man lied to us…" Sarah hissed under her breath.

Soon, they entered into an old wine cellar. Empty racks lined the walls. On the other side of the room, two men in hooded leather clothes turned to Alix and Sarah. "Who are you two?" one asked while the other drew a sword.

"Where is Muse?" Sarah screamed, taking her two daggers in reverse grips.

"Heh, that pretty lady the boss has?" the bandit said. "You're not getting her back, missy. We've been paid a lot of money to find a lady that suits a special person's standards."

"You'll never get a chance to spend that money!" Sarah let out a scream as she charged forward.

The second bandit tried to defend his fellow bandit, but Alix cut him down with a single strike. As the first bandit tried to draw a dagger, Sarah struck him twice, knocking him to the ground where he laid motionless.

"Alix, they have her!" Sarah said as she turned to him. "We have to hurry! I'll kill every single one of them if they've hurt her!"

She sprinted through a doorway behind the two fallen bandits. Alix followed without a word; he didn't object in the slightest to her intention.

* * *

The passageway led the two to a staircase that opened into a wide chamber. Several weapon and armour racks stood around this room, behind several bedrolls. From the top of the staircase, the two could see three large cages along the back wall, with the first on the left containing—

"Muse!" Sarah shouted. As soon as she heard Sarah's voice, Muse stood from her position in the corner of the cell and looked over to the top of the stairs.

Her attention turned to what Alix had immediately noticed at first: the three bandits standing with bows drawn and aimed at the two of them.

"Such loud guests," said a fourth man standing behind the three bandits. The man stepped out from behind his men, a spiked mace in hand and clad in the same leather as his fellow bandits. "You must not have noticed all of the trip-wires you've dashed through. We were ready for you seconds after you walked into our home."

"Let Muse go!" Sarah cried. "Or I'll kill you all!"

With a snicker, the bandit boss looked to Alix and said, "Calm your friend. All she's going to get is an arrow in the heart with that attitude."

Alix shook his head. "I don't plan on stopping her."

"So the two of you want to die, is that it?" Laughing again, the bandit boss shouted, "Fire!"

Three arrows were let loose. Alix and Sarah dodged the arrows, then charged down the stairs. Both took down one bandit each before the third drew his weapon, though he couldn't defend himself against attacks from both sides.

With his henchmen on the ground, the bandit boss took a few steps back. "What's wrong?" Alix asked, advancing on the boss.

"You might have bested my men," the boss said, "but don't think you can defeat me!"

"Don't even think you can stand against us!" Sarah shouted, stepping forward alongside Alix.

"Ha!" the bandit boss shouted. "Once I bring this girl to my master, I shall be strong enough to crush you a thousand times over!"

Alix raised an eyebrow, wondering how this bandit's master would make him stronger. "You'll be dead before that!" Sarah shrieked, lunging at the bandit boss.

A snicker came from the bandit boss as he stepped to the side in an instant, then slammed his mace into Sarah's chest. Alix winced at the sound of the impact and the cry that came from Sarah as she fell to the floor. "Sarah!" Muse cried, standing up and grabbing onto the bars of her cage.

As Sarah pressed her hand against her chest with a blue light, Alix charged forward. The bandit boss blocked the first swing of Alix's two-handed sword, looking as if he weren't exerting himself in the slightest. His counterattack bounced off of Alix's blade, but Alix felt a great deal of force from the bandit boss's attack.

"Alix!" Sarah said, pushing herself back up. "We have to attack together!"

"Then you shall die together!" With a wave of his hand, spikes of ice formed upon his mace—once for each iron spike.

Alix and Sarah dashed forward together. Alix struck first, his sword stopped by the bandit boss's mace. Sarah tried to plunge her blades into the bandit boss, but he pulled his mace away to rapidly intercept each swing. It left him open to Alix, who took the chance to drive his sword in a downward swing upon the bandit.

He felt his blade strike flesh, followed by the bandit boss's mace striking him in the chest. The force launched him off of his feet, landing him three feet away. A sharp pain and an unpleasant warmth flared in his side when he tried to breathe and get back on his feet.

He moved his head just enough to see Sarah and the bandit boss trading blows, each of which were deflected by the bandit boss or avoided by Sarah. Sarah's breathing was growing heavier and heavier, while the bandit boss didn't seem to be slowing at all.

It was only a matter of time until her guard fell. It came with a two-handed swing from the bandit boss, launching her across the room. "S-Sarah!" Alix gasped, clamping a hand onto his side as the pain stabbed into his side.

"Sarah!" Muse cried, falling onto her knees.

"Is that all?" said the bandit boss, advancing on Sarah with his mace raised.

Managing to roll out of the way of the bandit boss's overhead smash, Sarah growled, "No…"

Alix could feel Sarah's energy waves charging.

"…you won't stop me!"

The gathered energy released in a burst. For a second, all seemed calm, then Alix felt the strangest sensation. It was like a gentle breeze coursing through his body, relieving the pain in his torso and the aches in his limbs. Able to stand now, Alix started to feel what seemed like drops of rain falling upon his skin through his armour. Each drop upon the broken skin under his vest mended the wound with a strange tingling.

"Come on, Alix!" Sarah shouted, leaping to her feet as if she hadn't been struck once.

"Of course!"

The two struck in perfect unison. The bandit boss parried Alix's sword, but Sarah's daggers slashed at his side. He retaliated quickly, slamming his mace into Sarah, but the strike only caused her to recoil while Alix was able to land another heavy blow upon the bandit boss.

"Damn…damn you!" the bandit boss groaned, backing away as the two unleashed a flurry of blows upon him. Each landed hit slowed him down more and more, until Sarah leapt back to allow Alix to continue pressing him back with swing after swing.

Before the bandit boss could reach the wall, Sarah plunged her daggers into his back. His mace fell to the ground with a heavy thud, the icicles formed upon it shattering as he fell to his knees, then slumped onto the floor.

Alix started to pant, realizing that the healing sensation—that power that Sarah had unleashed—had vanished while they had finished the bandit boss. "He was…"

Sarah wiped her forehead, sheathing her blades and searching the bandit boss's body. "This better…" she uttered, pulling a key out of his armour and hurrying to Muse's cage.

With a click, the door popped open. Sarah pulled the door wide open, shouting, "Muse!"

"Sarah," Muse said, a wide smile on her face, "I knew you'd come."

Sarah took Muse's hand as her friend stepped out of the cage. Alix said, "Is your fri…"

His voice trailed off as Sarah threw herself against Muse, wrapping her arms tightly around Muse's back. Alix couldn't stop himself from grinning, only grinning wider when he saw Muse's pale face turn a deep red as she gazed over Sarah's shoulder at him.

"Thank goodness you're safe," Sarah said as she released her hold on Muse, her voice much softer than it had been for a while. "They didn't harm you or anything, did they?"

"No," Muse said, shaking her head. Other than a few tears in her dress and dirt on her face, Muse looked unharmed. "There…there was another man who was here. Another prisoner. They took him away before you arrived…"

Sighing, Sarah said, "Do you know why they took this man?"

"No, I don't. I don't know what they would have done with him. I'm sorry…"

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Muse." Sarah hugged her again. "I'm sorry I let this happen…"

As she let go of Muse, Sarah gestured to Alix. "Alix, thank you so much. I couldn't have done this without you."

"You fought very well yourself, Sarah," Alix said, his grin still on his face. "That bandit would have been too tough for me."

"Thank…" Muse said in a low voice. "Thank you, Alix."

"Let's get out of here, alright?" Alix said. "I'm hoping no more bandits show up."

With a nod, Sarah turned to Muse and asked, "Can you walk?"

"I can," Muse said. "Thank you…"

The three started for the staircase. Alix kept his weapon in hand, just in case any more bandits tried to fight them—if they weren't scared off at the mention of their leader's death.


	7. Chapter 7: Fishing

**Chapter Seven: Fishing**

* * *

Despite Alix's fears, no more bandits came along on their way out of the bandit den and back to Parthenope. There were a few giant moths that set upon them in the darkness of the night, but they were pitiful creatures that fell easily to Alix's blade.

As they drew near the city gate, a group of guardsmen charged out of the city. The guardsman in the lead approached the three. "Sarah? You've managed to save your friend?"

"It wasn't just me," she said. "Alix's help made the difference."

"Both of them saved me," Muse said with a smile.

"I don't think you need to worry about those bandits any more," Alix said. "We've killed their leader."

The guardsman's face lit up. "A relief for certain. We've had enough of monsters upon our walls, we don't need those criminals."

Stepping forward, Muse said, "They had another prisoner, a blue-haired young man. The bandits took him away before Sarah and Alix arrived. Please, you have to find him!"

The glow on the guardsman's face vanished. "My…we'll send men in the morning to investigate, to find what we can. For now, please return to your homes and rest. Miss Muse, one of our men shall come to your home in the morning to learn whatever we can about the bandits' organization." The guardsman looked past Muse to Alix and Sarah. "If the two of you have anything that might assist our investigation, please let us know."

"I'll be at Muse's home in the morning," Sarah said, taking Muse's hand. "I'll answer any questions you may have."

"Thank you," the guardsman said. "Please, have a good night's sleep. We've doubled our patrols to ensure that nothing of this sort ever happens again and we give our deepest apologies for failing to stop this."

Muse blushed. "Thank you."

The guardsmen turned and marched back into the city. Alix watched them go, his focus broken by Sarah's voice. "Alix, I really cannot thank you enough."

"You're welcome," he said, a smile spreading over his face in an instant.

"I want to thank you with more than words. I'll come by the Hunter's Guild tomorrow morning. I'd love for you to join us for lunch."

Out of the corner of his eye, Alix saw Muse bite her lip. "Are you sure I wouldn't be intruding upon you two?"

"No," Muse said with a small shake of her head and a small smile. "I'm very thankful for what you've done. I would be just as happy as Sarah to have your company."

"Thank you for that." With a nod, Alix said, "Good night, both of you. I'll speak to you two tomorrow then."

"Night, Alix," Sarah said, putting her arm around Muse's back.

"Good night," Muse said, turning with Sarah and starting for the gate of Parthenope.

Once the two were a good distance away, Alix let out the yawn he had kept from slipping out. How late was it? The last thing he wanted was to sleep past the time when Sarah wanted him to join them for lunch. His legs feeling a little stiff, Alix started off for the Hunter's Guild hall.

* * *

When Alix walked out into the entrance hall in the morning, he found Sarah and Guildmaster Mia together by the stairs to the Guildmaster's office. He gave a small smile as he approached.

"Alix," Mia said, "you stand by your vouch of Sarah's healing magic?"

"More than that now," he said. "I fought with her last night. She's very skilled with her blades. I have no doubts in her combat prowess."

"I see. Then, Sarah, I can have your Hunter's license ready for you in two days."

"Thank you, Guildmaster!" Sarah said. "And thank you, Alix."

"You've earned my recommendation, Sarah," Alix said with a nod.

"Good day to both of you," Mia said, before heading up the stairs to her office.

Looking over Alix, Sarah asked, "Did you sleep well last night? You look a little rough."

Shaking his head, Alix said, "I've had a lot to think over the past few days. What about you and Muse?"

"She's fine. I was worried that she'd be terrified after what happened, but she's doing well. And that means I'm fine."

"That's great to hear."

"So are you free for lunch?"

"Yes. Is it almost noon already?"

Sarah nodded. "Did you plan on sleeping in this late?" she asked as she started walking towards the exit.

"It happens sometimes…"

* * *

After a few minutes of walking through the crowded streets, the two arrived at Sarah's home. It was a small pink house in one of the nicer areas of the city. She unlocked the door and held it open for Alix.

The inside of her house was tidy and neat, with several vases full of flowers on the counters and tables. The lower floor was a single room, with a kitchen and dining table to the left and a den centered around a fireplace to the right. "Please sit down, Alix," Sarah said, pulling out a chair by the dining table. "I'll tell Muse that you're here and then finish up lunch."

Alix sat down and watched Sarah walk up the stairs. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply through his nose. The aromas of flowers, cooking fish, and herbs wafted into his nostrils, bringing a smile to his face. It was a pleasant combination, as odd as it seemed.

"Smells wonderful, doesn't it?" said Sarah. Only when she spoke did Alix noticed her steps upon the stairs. "Muse will be down in a few minutes. More than enough time for me to finish this swordfish up."

"Swordfish?" Alix asked. "I've never had it before, but it smells wonderful."

"Thank you! I caught it myself three days ago. One of the finest I've ever caught. A rough fight, but I won out in the end."

For a second, Alix pictured Sarah duelling the swordfish with her twin blades.

A few minutes passed. As Sarah pulled the fish out of the oven, Muse came walking down the stairs, dressed in a pale green dress. "Hello, Alix," she said with a small smile. "I can't wait to eat, Sarah."

"I'll work as fast as I can," Sarah said while wagging her finger. "I've spent all morning on this. Neither of you are as eager as I am!"

Muse sat down at the table, across from Alix. "Alix," she said, "thank you again. I knew Sarah would come to save me, but I'm glad that you helped her."

"You're welcome."

Muse's eyes lowered to the table, as if searching for things to say. Nothing came to Alix's mind, at least until Sarah brought a plate of swordfish steak for each of them to the table. When he took the first bite, he said, "This is delicious! I've never had anything this good."

"Thank you, Alix!" Sarah said, cutting her fish up into pieces before starting to eat. "I've been cooking since I was a little girl. It's one of my favourite hobbies."

"She cooks almost all of my meals," Muse said with a glance to her. "I'm not the best cook myself."

Alix nodded twice. "I…I don't cook."

"I could teach you a few things," Sarah said with a smile.

He shook his head. "I appreciate the meal. It's delicious. But cooking isn't just something I'm interested in."

"Well, what do you do with your time, Alix?"

"Work, mostly." He paused to chew his food. "There's plenty to do for a Hunter like me, especially as of late."

"Nothing else outside of work?" Sarah asked with a raised eyebrow.

Alix shook his head. "Not much. A visit to Grant Shaia's laboratory from time to time, wandering through town."

"You know Grant Shaia, the inventor?"

"Yes. He's…eccentric, to say the least. I'd recommend letting other people be the first to test his inventions."

"Well, what about fishing?"

"I think I've only tried it once. I barely remember it."

"Well, perhaps the two of us could go fishing after we're finished eating."

"Perhaps." Alix took a large bite of swordfish.

Sarah's smile grew. "Would you like to join us if we go, Muse?"

"I'll pass," Muse said, taking a pause to eat some swordfish. "I think I'll rest a little, then read."

Alix chewed on a piece of fish. Reading wasn't something he found enjoyable either.

"You do enjoy adventuring, Alix?" Muse asked. "Do you do a lot of work like that for the Hunter's Guild?"

"I do." Alix watched Sarah stand up and walk over to the kitchen to make some tea. "Fighting monsters, searching ancient ruins for treasures. I've been to two ruins this week."

"Hm?" Muse stopped chewing for a second to ask, "Any stories to share? If you don't mind, of course."

Clearing his mouth and his throat, Alix said, "The most recent had some sort of defense crystal. I had gone there with Grant Shaia; we managed to destroy the crystal."

"And…the other one?"

"An ancient shrine. I was sent to retrieve a sword, but some sort of guardian fought me off."

"Interesting," Muse said, turning to Sarah as she brought over a cup of tea. "I've read about old ruins and shrines. Maybe someday Sarah can take me to one. Hopefully, one that isn't full of monsters."

"I'd love to do that," Sarah said, squeezing Muse's shoulder before bringing over two cups for her and Alix. "Enjoy, Alix."

Alix took a sip of tea. "Delicious," he said with a smile.

"I'm sure even you could learn how to make this tea," Sarah said, sitting back down beside Muse. "It's a simple recipe. Muse taught me."

The three finished up their tea and fish. "That was a delicious meal, Sarah," Alix said as she gathered the plates and cups. "Thank you, both of you."

"It was my pleasure," Sarah said, putting the dishes on the kitchen counter.

Rising from her seat, Muse said, "I can take care of those, Sarah. Are…are you going to go fishing with Alix?"

"If he's interested…" She glanced over to him with a raised eyebrow.

Nodding, Alix said, "Sure. I'll give it a try."

As Alix stood up and walked towards the door, Sarah hugged Muse and said, "We won't be gone too long. We'll just be over at the lighthouse."

"Be careful," Muse said, pecking Sarah's cheek.

Alix grinned at Sarah's blushing face as she took a pair of fishing rods out from a cupboard. "Shall we go now?"

* * *

The Parthenope lighthouse stood on the coast north of the city, along the rocky shore of the continent. Someone had made a windy path down to the coast, where Sarah set up both fishing rods while Alix stared at the waves crashing upon the rocks. "Most fish down here aren't too strong, though this is where I caught that swordfish."

Once she had put lures on each rod and showed Alix had to cast and reel in the line slowly, the two started to fish. Alix kept his eyes fixed on the horizon, the process of casting his line and reeling in nothing soon becoming automatic.

The monotony of fishing was shattered when Sarah broke the silence. "So, Alix…you're just interested in working? In fighting?"

"Hm." He tried to sound as if he was thinking her question over, but the answer came quickly to him. "Yes, I suppose."

"But why? Have you ever done other things? Fallen in love? Ventured out of the city without a weapon on your back?"

"None of those things. I've…never been interested in romance, or anything like that." His line seemed to get stuck for a second, but came unsnagged with a single tug.

Sarah looked to him before casting her line again. "You don't seem the same as you did when we were fighting. You seemed to…enjoy it."

"I do. I suppose I'm just a warrior at heart."

"I hope you find other things that bring you pleasure and happiness, Alix. To fight all of the time…I couldn't imagine myself doing that."

Alix shook his head. "We're different people, Sarah."

"I understand. But I do look forward to working with you. Perhaps we'll explore some ruins together some day, without anyone to save."

"I hope so."

Something yanked on Alix's line. "Whoa!" he shouted, pulling on the rod and reeling.

"I think you've got something big, Alix!" Sarah cried, putting her rod down and hurrying to his side.

Alix started to scream as he tugged and tugged. "Be careful! You'll break the line!" Sarah shouted, her eyes and mouth wide.

"Raaahhh!" Alix fell backwards as the fish rose out of the water. It was a great blue beast, at least seven feet long—

The fish flew straight into Sarah, sending her onto the ground right beside Alix. It bounced and floundered around on her before flopping right back into the water, the line snapping as it vanished into the depths.

Grunting as he pushed himself up, Alix said, "It got away."

Sarah shook her head with a sigh. "Ugh, it got all over me!"

The two looked to each other, then shared a chuckle. "Want to try catching that monster again?" asked Sarah.

"A few more tries!" Alix said, handing his rod to Sarah to attach a new hook and lure. "Nothing gets away from me!"

There was a soft smile on Sarah's face, perhaps from the sight of the wide grin on his face. A sort of peaceful feeling filled him, even if he saw fishing as a sort of fight. Perhaps there was something to taking some time away from battle, even if it wasn't all he wanted from life.


	8. Chapter 8: Fairtel Forest

**Chapter Eight: Fairtel Forest**

* * *

The next two days passed without incident or Hunter work for Alix. He spent his time in Parthenope, mostly wandering around the city. Though Sarah had offered to teach him how to make tea, Alix decided to leave that for another day, perhaps after a completed job. He wasn't entirely sure that he could even make tea, no matter how simple Sarah made it sound.

On the morning of the third day, Alix walked out of the Hunter's Guild bedrooms to see Sarah descending the stairs from the Guildmaster's office. "You've received your license?" he asked, seeing the smile on her face.

Sarah pulled the small card out of her pocket. "I have," she said, "and the Guildmaster has work for us."

"Us?"

"Yes, she suggested I take this job with you. Come, she's ready when you are."

The two headed up the stairs into Guildmaster Mia's office. She sat with her hands together, smiling as the two came before her. "Good morning, Alix," she said. "I have a job available. As this is Sarah's first job with us, I want our best Hunter to accompany her."

"Of course," Alix said. "What's the job?"

"A client has requested the waters of a spring in the Fairtel Forest to the east."

"Simple enough."

"Ah, but…" Mia closed her eyes. "We've received word that creatures in the Fairtel Forest have grown much more numerous and have begun acting strangely. I'm sending both of you because I also want you to investigate the monster presence. Many alchemists' ingredients come from Fairtel Forest. If monsters there threaten their supplies, it could be troubling to many people who are in need of their medicine and potions."

"I see," Sarah said. "We'll do what we can."

"Then the best of luck to both of you. Grant Shaia shall be awaiting you at his station."

Alix raised an eyebrow. "Was he hired to take us to the forest?"

"Grant Shaia _is_ the client."

"Understood. We'll be on our way."

"Farewell," Sarah said as she followed Alix down the steps out of the Guildmaster's office.

As the two walked towards the exit of the Guild hall, Sarah asked, "So what is Grant Shaia like? I've heard about his train system that spans Eastland!"

"Have you heard that it breaks down every second trip?" Alix said. "Or that's the same fate for every second invention? Grant's invented some things that have done well here, but others aren't quite as successful. He doesn't seem to mind all that much."

"Do you have any idea why he'd want water from Fairtel Forest?"

"They saw that the springs of Fairtel Forest have magical properties. As Mia said, many alchemists gather their supplies from the forest. Last time I was there, I came across quite a few nasty monsters. If there's more of them…"

"…you'll be glad to have my help?"

Alix nodded.

* * *

The first thing Alix noticed upon arriving at Grant's train station was that the train was now pointed in the opposite direction. Grant Shaia sat in the doorway of his train, standing up straight as the two approached.

"Alix!" Grant said, shaking his hand once he came close enough. "I suspected you'd show up. And who's your friend?"

"My name is Sarah," she said with a wide smile. "Grant Shaia? I've heard a lot about you and your inventions! This'll be my first time on your train!"

"My, my!" Grant said, chuckling as he took Sarah's outstretched hand. "Someone who appreciates my genius."

"Someone who hasn't experienced your genius," Alix said, looking at the two smiling at each other. "How much work did it take to turn your train around?"

"Not much at all for a genius like me! And Alix, I think you'll like my latest change to my train. But we'll wait until we're at our stop. Get on board, both of you!"

The three entered Grant's train. As Grant headed into the engine room, Sarah took a seat while Alix leaned against the wall. "Is it a rocky ride?" Sarah asked.

Alix only managed to turn his head to the left before the engine erupted into life, causing Sarah to jump out of her seat. "Wow! That's—"

She almost fell over when the train lurched forward. Catching herself on the seat in front of her, Sarah waited until the train was rolling along steadily before sitting back down. "It's not as bad as I thought it would be!" she said with a wide-eyed smile.

"Just wait," Alix uttered.

* * *

The train rolled on for an hour before Grant came into the passenger room. "Alix, Sarah!" he shouted, waving his arms about. "You are about to be the first to witness the latest improvement to the Shaia Rail!"

"It has a name now?" Alix asked.

"Of course! Now, sit tight! We'll be by the Fairtel Forest in a minute!"

Alix knew that there wasn't one of Grant's stations near the Fairtel Forest…could his improvement really be…?

A grinding screech sounded from outside of the train. Both Alix and Sarah screamed and clamped their hands over their ears. The horrendous noise distracted them from the train slowing down, coming to a stop along with the screech.

Lifting his hands from his ears, Alix shouted towards the engine car, "Dammit, Grant!"

Grant walked out, a pair of thick earmuffs on his head. "What did you two think of it?" he asked as he pulled off the headmuffs, folded them up, and placed them into his lab coat.

Still shaking, Sarah said, "That was l-loud!"

"You had earmuffs?" Alix almost wanted to slap Grant for that.

"I thought it would have been quieter this time around," Grant said while looking away from Alix. "Anyway, have you noticed something?"

"The train's stopped," Sarah said, looking out the window to the ocean on one side of the train. "Was that really the improvement to this train? That it could stop?"

"Yes," Alix said loudly, glaring at Grant.

"You're the one who showed me the value of brakes, Alix! And, well, business hasn't been great for the Shaia Rail. It's given me time to suit the train for Hunter needs."

Sighing, Alix asked, "Will you be coming with us? Or staying with the train?"

"Staying with the train, of course. I've learned enough from our last adventure."

"There might be puzzles in the forest."

"Ha! Forget it, Alix. Besides, I've got to stay with the train."

"Very well then. You'll be here when we get back?"

"Of course!" Grant looked to Sarah as she walked over to the train door and pulled it open.

Alix shrugged as he stepped away from the wall. "I'm sure just staying here will be boring. Perhaps dangerous, with the rise in monsters around Fairtel Forest."

"…really?"

"That's what I've heard. Fairtel Forest will be dangerous as well, but at least you'd be with us."

Grant bit his lip, then said, "Fine. I'd like to see what's in the forest after all."

"Getting an adventurous spirit?"

The scientist remained perfectly still for a few seconds before letting a smile come out. "I'd like to gather some things in the forest and I don't think I could trust you with that. Sarah perhaps, not you."

"Come on, then." Alix led the way out of the train, meeting up with Sarah outside. "Grant's coming with us to pick some flowers. Let's go."

"Are you sure, Mr. Shaia?" asked Sarah. "If you gave us a list, I could find everything for you."

Grant shook his head as he took a wrench out of his lab coat. "Some things you just feel better with when you do it yourself. Like exploring a forest with my two Hunter escorts." With a press of a button and a flick of his wrist, his wrench extended, doubling in length. "Or smacking a monster or two."

"We'll keep anything big from going after you," Alix said. He gestured towards the forest of teal trees a short distance away from the train. "I've been to the Fairtel Forest before. I'll lead the way."

Both Sarah and Grant nodded.

* * *

Save for the off-colour trees, Fairtel Forest looked like any other forest—from the outside. Within, it was like a combination of a forest and jungle, with towering conifers standing over thick layers of vines and large flowers. While other forests had the sounds of insects and distant animals, all that could be heard within the Fairtel Forest was the whistling of the wind, even where the foliage was too thick to let any wind from outside of the forest through.

The thick foliage meant that worn paths through the forest were the only traverseable routes. Alix took the lead, keeping an eye out for any movement.

The group soon came to a round clearing in the forest. Vines ran along the ground, with giant flowers at least four feet wide on the outskirts and middle of the clearing. They were of many colours: purple, red, blue, yellow—

"Hold on," Alix said, raising his left hand while his right drew his sword.

He pointed to the five large yellow flowers. "Those are monsters."

"Those plants?"

Vines began to wriggle around the five flowers. "Rafflesias," Alix said, drawing his sword. "Careful—their spores are poisonous."

Alix focused his energy, charging it around the Rafflesias before an explosion engulfed the plant-monsters in flames. Their vines flailed about, leaving them wide open for Alix and Sarah to charge forward and slice into them.

Each took two down while still aflame. As Alix raised his sword to bring it down upon the last Rafflesia, a purple puff shot out of the flower at Alix. His face went through the cloud of spores as his sword sliced the Rafflesia in half.

He only noticed that he had breathed in the spores when he tasted the foul spores in his mouth. Within seconds, his head felt heavy and clouded. "Ugh…"

"Alix!" Sarah said, running to his side. "Hold on!"

A faint green aura travelled from her hand to Alix, disappearing into his body. Just as quickly as the symptoms of the poisoning had come, they ebbed away, leaving him clear-headed. "Thank you, Sarah," he said as he gave his head a shake.

Grant inched towards one of the slain Rafflesias, prodding at it with his extended wrench. "Can it still release its spores when it's dead?" he asked, putting on a pair of gloves and a mask over his nose and mouth before taking out a knife.

"I've never played with their bodies," Alix said as Grant started to gather something from the plant-monster. "What are you doing?"

"Some of these other herbs can be mixed with natural poisons to create an antidote. It'll save your magic, Sarah."

"You know a lot about chemistry and alchemy, Mr. Shaia?"

"I've been studying. I learn quickly."

Alix leaned against a tree as Grant harvested whatever he was taking from each of the Rafflesias. "Shall we continue on?" he said once Grant finished with the last one.

"Of course. Let's find that spring."

A path laid past the slain Rafflesias. The three started down the path, their weapons remaining at the ready for any signs of further threats.

* * *

The group encountered a few more clearings full of Rafflesias, which they defeated without trouble. Alix had never encountered a spring in the Fairtel Forest in his prior travels, worrying him that they might end up lost before long.

They came upon a wall of interwoven branches at the end of one path. As Alix hacked at the branches and pulled them out of the way, Sarah said, "There's someone there!"

Alix and Grant followed her into the clearing beyond. In the center of a mass of thorny vines laid a golden-haired woman in a green robe. A feathered green hat and wooden staff rested beside her, tangled in the vines. She wasn't moving and her robe bore many tears and scratches.

Sarah readied her blades and began to hack at the vines. Before she was halfway to the woman, the vines started to move. "Sarah!" Alix said, raising his sword.

The vines yanked the unconscious woman up into the air while lashing out at Sarah. Sarah leapt back, cutting away two of the vines that swung at her face. Alix charged forward, slicing through clusters of vines with swing after swing.

One vine he missed wrapped around his ankle. The thorns pierced his skin as its hold tightened before jerking him off of his feet, landing face-first on the ground.

Once he was back on his feet, he saw that the vines had pulled the woman to the edge of the clearing. A pair of soft giggles sounded from all around them before the vines pulled the woman deeper into the forest.

"We have to help her!" Sarah said, running after the vines.

"Be careful!" Grant cried as he chased after her.

"…fairy magic…" Alix growled underneath his breath before following the two. There was a reason none of his trips to Fairtel Forest never went well.


	9. Chapter 9: Bad Men

**Chapter Nine: Bad Men**

* * *

Sarah led the way, outspeeding Alix and Grant down the winding paths. Grant was starting to pant, though he managed to keep up with the others.

"Get back here!" Sarah shouted, in between deep breaths. "Let her go!"

Giggles sounded all around them in response. Alix let out a growl.

The vines pulled the woman into a clearing, which the three chased it into. Thorned vines rose up all around the clearing while half a dozen Rafflesias stood.

"We'll fight you if we have to!" Sarah shouted, charging at the nearest Rafflesia. She rolled out of the way of its spores, then hacked apart the plant-monster with her blades.

Alix followed up with fire magic upon three of the surviving Rafflesias. Vines surged at him, but he cut them all down with his sword.

"Watch out!" Grant shouted, whacking away vines with his wrench. Though he wasn't as frightened as he had been in Tarpal Cavern, Alix knew that his dull weapon would be useless against the plants.

A set of vines whipped at Sarah's back. Before they could strike, Alix charged forward, slicing through them all. Vines attacked from all angles; Alix and Sarah stayed back to back, cutting down each vine that approached.

"Ugh!" Grant cried as one vine wrapped around his ankle.

"Grant, hold on!" Alix cried.

Before he could rush over to help him, Grant pulled his knife out of his coat and cut himself free. "Ha!" he cried, smacking the retreating vine with his wrench as it withdrew into the foliage.

The Rafflesias inched their way towards Alix and Sarah. Taking a breath, Alix screamed, "_Wave Slash!_" He flew through two of the Rafflesias, slicing the flowers clean in half while Sarah cut down the last Rafflesia.

The vines left standing drew away, disappearing into the ground and bushes, leaving only the ones holding onto the woman. "Alix!" Sarah said, leaping at the the woman's binds and hacking at them. "Help!"

Sarah was finished cutting the woman free by the time Alix reached her. He let his sword fall to the ground to catch the woman, gently lowering her to the ground. Up close, he noticed the woman's sharp nose and pointed ears. "Huh," he said aloud. "An elf."

"An elf?" Grant asked, walking over as Alix picked his sword back up. "I've never met any elves here in Eastland. Perhaps she's from another land?"

"Whoever she is," Sarah said, "we should get her out of here."

The air was broken by a pair of giggles echoing all around them.

"What is that?" Grant asked, holding his wrench in both hands while backing towards Alix and Sarah.

Alix scanned the trees around them, watching for any glimmer or light. The next pair of giggles came from above them, prompting him to lift his head towards the fairies above them.

Both were wreathed in violet sparkles that spread with each flap of their butterfly-like wings. Two antennae poked out from their long pink hair. Each wore a white plain dress that fluttered about as they flew around.

The two fairies circled the group, leaving trails of sparkles and giggles in the air. Alix held his sword high, ready to swing at the first sign of danger.

"Is…who are you?" Grant said, taking a step backward into Alix.

"We mean no harm," Sarah said, sheathing her blades and stepping away from the others. "Please, why did you take this woman here?"

One of the fairies stopped in front of Sarah's face. She fluttered in the air, staring into Sarah's eyes for a few seconds, her own eyes wide. Then her eyes narrowed as she glanced over to Alix. "He's a bad man! You're with him!"

"'Bad man'?" Sarah looked to Alix. "Why is he a 'bad man'?"

The second fairy stopped behind the first. "He's a bad man! Bad man!"

The two fairies glared at Alix. "Goodness…" he said, shaking his head.

"Err, what is their problem with you, Alix?" Grant asked, nudging him in the ribs with his elbow.

"The fairies tried to attack me with a few vines one of the times I came here," he said. "So I set the vines on fire. They weren't too happy about th—"

"Bad man!" both fairies shouted at him.

Sarah stepped between the fairies and Alix. "I know Alix. He's a good person. He helped me when I needed it the most."

"Bad man!" one of the fairies said. "But you…are not a bad woman."

"Not a bad woman!" said the other fairy.

"…what about me?" Grant blurted out.

The two fairies flew over right in front of his face, provoking him to scream and jump back. Both fairies burst into laughter and flew back towards Sarah.

Sarah pointed to the elven woman and asked again, "Why did you take this woman here?"

"She stole my favourite flower!" one of the fairies cried with a pout. "She killed it!"

"An alchemy ingredient?" said Grant, still shaking a little. "She…she might not have known…"

"You could have just said something to her," Sarah said to the fairies. "She might have apologized."

The fairy shook her fists and took two laps around the clearing. "No! We have to hurt intruders! Like that bad man! And that other bad man!"

"Other bad man?"

"The bad man! Those men took the bad man through here!"

Alix didn't care about anything but their current goal. "We're here to find a spring in this forest," he said. "Just tell us where it is and we'll leave. We'll take the elf woman with us."

The two fairies cried, "Quiet, bad man!"

"What he said was true," Sarah said. "We promise that we're not bad people. As soon as we find the spring water we've come to obtain, we'll leave."

Both fairies drifted away from the group, whispering to each other. One flew back to Sarah. "Fine! We'll show you the spring! But you have to leave our forest right away!"

"Do you promise not to harm us?"

"We won't if you don't!"

Alix slung his sword over his back. "I promise. Let's go." He knelt down and picked up the unconscious elf.

The two fairies frowned as they turned around and drifted down one of the paths. "Do we trust them?" Grant asked in a quiet voice.

"We gave them our word," Sarah said, starting after the fairies.

Grant looked around, then followed after Sarah. Alix went last, keeping an eye out for any fairy tricks. He trusted them as much as they seemed to trust him.

* * *

They came to a clearing with a sparkling pool of water in the center. The two fairies hovered over the water. "Here's our spring!" one of the fairies said. "Now hurry up!"

Grant pulled a flask out of his coat and filled it with water. "That should be enough. Th…thank you, fairies."

"Now we'll lead you out!" said the other fairy. "And don't come back! We're not going to let any intruders in!"

* * *

Once they came to the edge of the forest, one of the fairies cried, "And stay away!"

The two fairies returned back down the forest path, vines weaving themselves into a barrier cutting off the entrance into Fairtel Forest. Their giggles echoed for a few seconds, then became silent.

A soft grunt came from the elven woman in Alix's arms. He knelt down and laid her on the ground, with Sarah and Grant sitting on her other side. "She's awake," Sarah said, watching the woman's eyes open. "Are you alright?"

The elf's eyes glanced between the people on each side of her. "Who are you three?" she asked in a monotone voice.

"My name is Sarah, and these are Grant Shaia and Alix. Are you hurt, miss?"

Shaking her head, the elf said, "No. No, I am not. Thank you for your help."

"What were you in there for?" Grant asked.

"To gather potion ingredients. And to investigate the disturbance in the forest."

"What sort of disturbance? Whatever's causing all of the monsters?"

The elf nodded. "Surely you sensed it from those fairies."

"I didn't sense anything," Sarah said with a shake of her head.

"Their energy waves are strange. Distressed. Bearing the influence of another with great power."

Alix closed his eyes. His ability to sense energy waves hadn't been trained when he had last encountered the fairies. "They were…different than I remember them being."

"What happened with them, Alix?" Sarah asked.

With a sigh, he said, "It was all a trick in their mind, just a game. To them, I overreacted. But even then, they were still playful in their anger. I didn't think they were so upset about it."

"But…Miss…"

"Aira." The elven woman pushed herself to her feet, brushing off her robe.

"Miss Aira, what could have caused this?"

Aira looked over Sarah. She seemed to be staring right through the girl. After a few seconds, Sarah began to blush and step back slowly. "…Miss Aira?"

The elf closed her eyes. "I do not know for certain. I have my suspicions, but I cannot share them."

Alix raised an eyebrow. He had heard that elves were strange. "Why not?"

"Because I am not certain. And I don't wish to cause alarm over suspicions."

She started to walk away from the group. "A shadow looms over Eastland," Aira said without looking back. "Terrible things may come to pass. You shall need to be prepared for what will come."

"Please, tell us more!" Sarah said, starting after the elf. "Is it…t-the Sinistrals?"

Sinistrals? Alix had no idea what that meant.

Aira paused for a second. She didn't turn around or say a word. In that second, Alix felt her energy waves surge—was it distress at the mention of the Sinistrals? Or something else? Soon, she was once again on her way, her energy waves having returned to normal.

Sarah watched her go for a few seconds before turning back to the others. "It couldn't be the Sinistrals," said Sarah, biting her lip. "Right?"

Grant closed his eyes and rubbed his chin. "Who knows? A Sinistral would have massive energy waves—and my device to detect energy waves exploded. It could have been…" He shook his head. "No. We can't just assume it's the Sinistrals."

"You're right." Sarah looked away from the others. "But whatever's out there has to be stopped. Right, Alix?"

He didn't look to her. There were people who rose up to fight evil powers, and he didn't think of himself as one.

The silence was broken by Grant. "Well…we've got what we came for. Let's head back to Parthenope."

* * *

Alix watched Sarah the entire train ride back to Parthenope. He could tell she was deep in thought; her eyes continued to stare blankly forward, her lips drawn in a small frown and her brow furrowed with determination.

As the night silhouette of Parthenope came into view out of the windows, Alix said, "You're thinking of going off to investigate."

She didn't do anything for a few seconds. Eventually, she gave a single nod. "It's probably not the Sinistrals, but if it is…the whole world is in danger."

"Do you think you're strong enough?"

"No, but if I have to, I will become strong enough. I…think you don't want to be involved. Am I right?"

"You…" Alix crossed his arms. "You're right. I'm not a hero. Just a Hunter. A mercenary."

"You helped me save Muse. You're a hero as far as I'm concerned. And I would value your help if I stood against evil."

"What about Muse?"

"Muse is why I'd never stand by while evil threatens the world. I won't let any harm come to her, even if I had to challenge the Sinistrals myself."

"We still don't know if it is the Sinistrals."

"I know." She lowered her head. "And that terrifies me."


	10. Chapter 10: Ancient Myths

**Chapter Ten: Ancient Myths**

* * *

Upon return to Parthenope, the three stepped out of Grant's train. "It's getting late," Sarah said, glancing up to the dark sky. "I'd better get going." Her cheeks turned a touch red. "Goodbye, Alix and Mr. Shaia."

"Farewell, Sarah," Grant said with a wave. "I'll send your pay to the Hunter's Guild."

Sarah ran off. "She's in a rush…" Grant uttered.

"She must be heading back to her girlfriend," Alix said.

"Ah. Did you find out the hard way, Alix?"

"What?" He turned his head and glared at Grant.

"Never mind, then." Grant snickered, then said, "Perhaps we could have dinner together?"

"Like a date?"

"Don't flatter yourself."

With a shrug, Alix said, "Sure. Where shall we go?"

"There's a nice restaurant I know in the center of the city. Let's go."

* * *

Seated at a table in the sunshine outside of the restaurant, Alix stared at the seared steak before him. This food was much more expensive than anything he ever bought for himself and it certainly smelled like it was. Just from the smell alone, Alix felt that eating it at any pace would be eating it too fast.

Grant finished chewing on a mouthful of his chicken pasta. "Go on, Alix."

"Expensive, isn't it?"

"I suppose my work is more profitable than Hunter jobs. Don't worry about it, Alix. I can certainly afford it."

Alix cut through the steak, taking a small piece and putting it into his mouth. The steak was…actually rather tough, but very flavourful and well-seasoned.

"Good?"

"Yes, very."

"It's good to have a nice meal once in a while, right?"

"Sarah cooked some fish for me recently, for helping her rescue her girlfriend."

"I suppose, if the Sinistrals really are back, that we should enjoy things like this while we have the chance."

Looking up from his meal, Alix asked, "The Sinistrals really are that kind of threat?"

"…you've never heard of the Sinistrals?" Grant stared at Alix with his lips parted. "I knew you weren't smart, but that's a surprise."

"I'm sorry that I don't study ancient myths."

"The Sinistrals, _ancient_? Goodness, Alix, you don't have the slightest idea."

"Then educate me, Grant."

Clearing his throat and taking a swig of wine, Grant said, "The Sinistrals are four beings with immense power who've sought to wipe out and terrorize the world in the past. Their first appearance was three hundred years ago, in Northland. Every one hundred years since, the Sinistrals have returned and a descendant of the first hero who fought the Sinistrals have defeated them."

"So they could be back again," Alix said, taking a sip of wine. He didn't care for it.

"Gades, the Sinistral of Destruction, leads their return. Then comes the others: Amon, the Sinistral of Chaos; Daos, the Sinistral of Terror; and Erim, the Sinistral of Death."

"Erim is their leader?"

"No. Daos leads the Sinistrals. But Erim is said to have the power of reviving the defeated Sinistrals."

Alix closed his eyes. Erim sounded incredibly dangerous; how could anyone overcome a being whose power was death itself?

"I'd hate to think that they've truly returned…but the pattern's there. Hey, Alix…maybe you're Maxim's descendant. You've got the red hair."

"So do many other people." The idea was absurd—if not a little frightening.

"My ancestors have helped Maxim and his descendants against the Sinistrals," Grant added with a smile. "My great-grandfather Isaac even joined the fight against them a hundred years ago. Imagine, you and me, another descendant of Maxim and another Shaia facing the ultimate evils!"

"I'd rather not."

"Scared of the Sinistrals?"

"No. I just…I'm not interested in saving the world." Alix focused his eyes on the glass of wine before him.

"I think you'd have it in you."

"That makes me even less interested."

Grant burst out with laughter. "I'm happy to see how much confidence you have in my confidence in you."

"The Sarahs of the world can fight the Sinistrals."

"Well, I'm sure that the Sarahs of the world would need all of the help they can receive from warriors like you. And scientists like me."

"To crash them into the Sinistrals?"

With a grin, Grant gave a shake of his head.

* * *

The next morning, Alix woke in the Hunter's Guild bedrooms. He didn't hesitate to make his way straight to the Guildmaster's office.

"Guildmaster," he said as he entered, "any work for me?"

Mia glanced up to him, then nodded. "In fact, I have a client who requested you specifically."

"Really? For what?"

"It seems the city guard has need of someone to escort a hired investigator. They're looking for a missing person."

Other than assistance fighting off attacking monsters Alix had only worked for the Parthenope guard once; it hadn't been a very worthwhile assignment. Still, if they were looking for him, it was likely something that would suit his talents. "Very well, I accept."

"Excellent. I believe the client should be arrivi—ah, there she is."

Alix turned around to see Sarah, dressed in a white sleeveless blouse and skirt. "Sarah?" he asked, an eyebrow raised.

She nodded. "I'm working for the Parthenope guard on this. I heard you were willing to help."

"I would like to know more about this."

"I'll tell you on the way. I've already made travel arrangements with Mr. Shaia, but I need to stop at home to fetch my gear."

With a nod, Alix followed Sarah out of the Guildmaster's office.

* * *

As they walked through Parthenope, Sarah said, "When Muse was kidnapped by those bandits, she mentioned that they had another captive, a blue-haired man, who was taken away before we arrived. The Parthenope guard sent word to other cities and learned about a man from the city of Horene to the south who was reported as missing under suspicious circumstances."

"So we're headed for Horene?"

Sarah shook her head. "The guardsmen of Sistol to the east received word of several suspicious people, including one blue-haired man, travelling through the city."

"Sistol is past the Fairtel Forest…" Alix said, pondering. "Maybe that group with the 'bad man' the fairies mentioned were that man's abductors?"

"Perhaps. The Sistol guard is under pressure from monster attacks, so they've asked for someone from Parthenope to investigate."

"And the Parthenope guard asked for your assistance?"

"No. I volunteered to help. Muse hasn't been sleeping well lately, and she admitted that it's because of that other man. She wasn't happy that I wanted to find him so that she'd feel more comfortable, but finally gave me permission."

"You need Muse's permission?" Alix grinned.

Glancing to him with lowered brows, Sarah said, "Muse is always worried when I go out to fight for any reason. Her happiness is more important than work."

"Then why do you fight?"

"What?"

"Why do you fight when any job might be your last?"

She came to a stop a step ahead of him, her eyes lowering to the ground in front of her. Alix stared at her, wondering what expression she bore on her face.

Not a word came from her as she continued on.

The two soon came to her home. Her equipment was on the table as soon as they walked in. Muse stood by the table, frowning. "You don't have to do this, Sarah…" she said to her.

Sarah approached Muse and took her hands. "I want you to feel better, Muse. I'll be careful and come back to your arms, you know it."

Alix looked away from the two. "I know," Muse said. There was the soft sound of a smooch, then Alix heard the scrapes of Sarah's equipment against the table as she picked everything up.

"Alright, Alix," Sarah said once he turned back to her. She had her armour in a backpack with her blades sheathed on the sides. "Let's get going."

He nodded. Sarah gave Muse a kiss on the cheek before walking towards the door. Alix glanced to Muse just before he left. Her frown had returned, along with a piercing stare towards him. It made him feel a little uncomfortable.

The least he could do was to ensure Sarah made it back to Muse.

* * *

The two boarded Grant's train and sat silently during the ride to Sistol. The city was nestled in the middle of a large forest, with all of its buildings made of unpainted wood from the surrounding trees. Alix always wondered if the entire city would burn down from a single fire.

Once they left the train station, a pair of guards greeted them. The two women wore leather armour, with green badges on their chests that bore the image of a silver tree. "Welcome to Sistol," said one of the women with a smile. "Are one of you the investigator we're expecting from Parthenope?"

"Yes," Sarah said. "I'm Sarah. Alix is accompanying me on my travels, and this is Grant Shaia."

"Welcome to our city, then. Please come with us."

Grant shook his head. "I have some business in the city to take care of, then I'll be back at the train. These two are the ones you want."

"Very well, then. Enjoy your stay in our city, Mr. Shaia."

"I shall, thank you very much. Take care, Alix and Sarah." Grant walked away from the station, disappearing into a crowd of people.

As Alix and Sarah looked back to the two guards, the first said, "We may have information on the man you're searching for. Please, we should hurry."

"Of course!" Sarah said. "Lead the way."

* * *

The two guards brought them into a tower at the edge of the city. The room within was lined with weapon and armour racks, with several of Sistol's guards seated at tables.

One grey-bearded man stood up and walked over to Sarah. "You must be Parthenope's investigator. I am Captain Alain of the Sistol Army. I will tell you everything I know that may help you in your work."

"Thank you," Sarah said.

"From what we have learned, we believe that the bandit gang that you are familiar with has a hideout south of the city, in the ruins of the Ancient Sistol Castle. Those who have tried to explore the ruins have been unable to enter, but perhaps there is some sort of secret passage that the bandits have used."

"Or a puzzle," Alix said with a frown.

"That is a possibility. We have been unable to investigate ourselves, given the rise in recent monster attacks. Will you two be able to investigate on your own?"

"Yes, we can," Sarah said. "If there's nothing else, we should hurry on our way. The bandits might move their captive any time."

"Of course." The captain gave a small bow. "Best of luck to you."

* * *

The two travelled south, deep into the forest that surrounded Sistol. All Alix knew about their destination was that it had been the seat of power of an ancient empire that had crumbled centuries ago. He could only wonder why the ruins of the Ancient Sistol Castle had been left untouched until now.

Soon, the castle came into sight as the forest began to thin. The old brown stone was almost entirely covered by layers of green and black moss. Large chunks of the walls had fallen out, though not enough to leave holes wide enough for a person to fit through. The front door was made of a silvery metal with runes carved into it—perhaps the same metal as the doors in Carenis Shrine and Tarpal Cavern?

As they approached, Alix noticed a feeling overwhelm him with each step he took. "Sarah," Alix said, raising an hand. "Do you sense that?"

"No, I don't. What is it?"

Alix closed his eyes and saw the energy eminating from the ruin before them in his mind's eye. It felt like a remnant of some power that was no longer present, but even then, the residual energy waves were stronger than anything he had ever sensed. Even the guardian in Carenis Shrine wasn't as powerful as this energy.

"Alix?" Sarah said. He noticed her staring at him as he opened his eyes.

"Something incredibly powerful was here," Alix told her, looking to the ruin. "It might still be here."

Sarah bit her lip as she looked over to the ruin. "A Sinistral…?"

"It might very well be."

Drawing her blades, Sarah said, "V-very well…well, we need to investigate. If it is a Sinistral…the world needs to be warned."

Alix nodded and followed her towards the entrance. He drew his sword, steeling himself for whatever might lie within. If it was a Sinistral though, all of the preparations they could take would mean nothing anyway.


	11. Chapter 11: The Name

**Chapter Eleven: The Name**

* * *

Alix pushed open the silvery doors. The energy waves seemed to wash over the two of them like a wave spilling out of the castle.

"I…I felt that," Sarah said in a high voice. "Could that really be the power of a Sinistral?"

"Could be." Alix walked forward, into the entrance hall of the Ancient Sistol Castle. The three doorways out of the hall had all caved in, leaving no apparent passage to proceed further.

Sarah started across the tattered violet carpet. "Let me guess…" Sarah said, stepping off of the carpet. "Trapdoor under the carpet?"

With a strong tug, Sarah yanked the carpet off of the floor, revealing a rotted wooden trapdoor. "It can't be that simple," she said, pulling the trapdoor open.

The two approached the trapdoor, walking down the stone steps into the darkness. The light was dim, but Alix could make out a square chamber at the bottom of the staircase.

As they walked into the chamber, the trapdoor behind them slammed shut. "I'm guessing we're locked in here now," Alix said.

Sarah walked forward, coming to a section of the wall that looked like it would slide into the floor. "There must be a switch or some way to open this door." She took a step to the side, then said, "Alix, look! There's some kind of plaque here."

Pure white light illuminated from Sarah's hand. "Most of the words are worn away…it reads, '_Stand before … and … key … aloud._'"

Alix noticed another plaque on the wall, glinting from Sarah's light. "This one says, '… _the door … read the … passage …_' The rest is worn away.

"'Stand before the door and read the key passage aloud'? What passage?"

"I don't know. It may have been something that the people of ancient Sistol would know."

"Or…" Sarah stepped in front of the secret door and said, "'Stand before the door and read the key passage aloud'."

With a quiet rumble, the section of wall slid down into the floor. "Good job," Alix said.

"Not one for riddles and puzzles, Alix?" Sarah asked, her smile visible for a second before she extinguished her magical light.

He didn't know if she could see him shaking his head. "Let's keep going. And hope that that's the last trick we have to deal with."

Sarah drew her blades and walked through the doorway. The corridor beyond looked like the basement of the ancient castle. One torch on the wall illuminated the corridor, revealing three ajar doors before them.

She walked to the nearest door and pushed it open, revealing a room filled with large wooden casks. "A wine cellar?" she said, stepping inside with Alix close behind.

"Are the casks full?" asked Alix, approaching one and turning the knob. A dark liquid began to pour out of the nozzle. "They are…and they're not dusty. They have been used recently."

"So someone is here," Sarah said, sniffing the wine. "Smells good, too. A rich red wine."

The aroma was far from pleasant to Alix. "I don't think we'll find anything else here. Let's keep looking around."

The two walked out of the wine cellar and approached the next door in the corridor. Sarah pushed it open, remaining in the doorway as Alix looked over her shoulder.

Their eyes came first to the cage in the corner of the room. It was empty, though the cage itself was quite familiar. "That cage is like the ones from the other bandit hideout," Alix said. "Like one of the cages Muse was in."

"Then this is another one of their hideouts," Sarah said. "Maybe we're too late…?" Her eyes went to a table next to the cage, where several chains and a leather-bound book laid.

"What's this?" Alix said, picking up the book on the table. "_If anyone ever reads this…_"

Sarah turned to him. "What does it say?"

"It's a journal. This is the last entry." He continued reading the note.

"…_know that I have always objected to our new boss's slaving ways. That man we captured grows madder and madder with each passing day. He claims torture, and even though I have not seen any such instruments in this place, I know that they are unneeded. The new boss, Fabrian…he is terrifying. Every time I am alone with him makes me thankful for every minute I am not in his presence. I know that he alone could break a man. I think it is time to flee this place, to flee Fabrian…the Sistol guard should be able to put a stop to him and what he's done here._"

"Hmm," Sarah said, glancing to the empty cage. "We should keep that. It may provide the Sistol guard with more information. I swear that I've heard that name, 'Fabrian', before…"

Alix stored the book in a pocket on his armour. "Let's keep looking."

"This doesn't feel right," Sarah said, frowning as they walked back into the corridor. "Why was that journal there?"

"I don't know." Alix opened the last door, revealing a staircase leading up. "Let's keep going."

He led the way up the stairs, coming into a torchlit hallway. Most of the doorways had collapsed, leaving only three passages open. The first led down a corridor that ended with a cave-in. The second, Alix found as he pushed open the door, led into a small kitchen. There was a door in the kitchen that led into the adjacent room.

Sarah approached and pushed open the door. As soon as it swung open, a gasp escaped her lips. Alix stepped behind her, and his eyes widened upon seeing the sight within.

The room was a dinner hall, the three long tables still bearing several half-finished plates of food. There were at least two dozen bandits inside, wearing the recognizable shoulder patch.

They laid on the floor, on the table, and slumped against the wall in puddles of blood.

"Wh-what happened here?" Sarah said in a low voice, walking into the dinner hall and looking at the bodies. "They're all dead…"

Alix closed his eyes as he followed her inside. There was a residual energy in this room, probably from whatever power killed all of the bandits.

Kneeling beside one of the bodies, he saw that the bandit's sword was coated in blood. Glancing over to nearby bodies, he noticed that some of the others' weapons were also bloody and that all of them bore stab wounds. "Did they turn on each other?"

Sarah said nothing, only continuing to look around the room with wide eyes.

"Ahh…guh…hel…help…"

Both Alix and Sarah ran to the end of the dinner hall to the source of the voice. It was a young female bandit, whose hand was held tightly over a wound in her stomach. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, while her cheeks were still moist with tears.

"…who did this to you?" Sarah asked, kneeling down beside her.

The bandit took a breath, then coughed up blood. "…help…"

"Can you heal her, Sarah?" Alix asked.

Sarah held her hand out, letting sparkles of healing magic flow into the bandit. It seemed to have no effect on the bandit's injuries. "It's too late," Sarah said, lowering her head. "I can't do anything for her…"

"…the boss…" the bandit uttered, "…brought him in…everyone went crazy. Half of us…turned on the others…rest…crippled with…with…"

"Your boss?" Sarah asked. "Please, tell us what you can."

The bandit tried to reach for Sarah, but her shaking arm dropped back to her side. The woman struggled to keep her eyes open. "Help…help…A-A-Amon…kill us all…"

With one last cough, the bandit fell onto her side. Sarah stared at the woman, trembling and trying to keep herself steady. "She's gone."

Alix looked to Sarah. Had it been only a few days earlier, he would not have realized the significance of what the bandit had said. "Amon. She said something about Amon."

Sarah's answer was almost silent. "I know."

"We don't know if she's right. She just might have…" He wasn't sure that he believed what he was saying.

"Amon," Sarah said, rising to her feet. "The Sinistral of Chaos. They've…they've really returned."

He stared at the lifeless woman before them. Her own energy waves were barely noticable, but he could feel a…a taint of sorts. One that was much like the energy waves that permeated the ruin.

As he stood up, he looked to Sarah. The wide eyes and parted lips soon vanished from her face. "We have to stop them."

Alix said nothing. At this point, he wasn't sure if he really did want to keep himself out of fighting the Sinistrals. Just thinking about what they had done here…

"I'm going to fight them, Alix," Sarah continued, taking a few small steps towards the exit of the room. "I have to. I can't let them do this to anyone else. To anyone I…I care for."

He stepped towards her. "Do you think you…" Alix closed his eyes, thinking about what Sarah said. Didn't he care about her safety? About Grant's? "Do you think we're powerful enough to fight the Sinistrals?"

She turned towards him. For a second, he could see a relieved smile before it vanished. "We'll become powerful enough, Alix. Whatever it takes. Right?"

_If only it were so easy…_ "Of course."

"We'll find other warriors. Anyone willing to fight the Sinistrals, with the strength to challenge them. Even if we have to travel all over the world!"

Alix nodded. "But will anyone believe us? All we have is a bandit's dying words."

"We'll just have to hope they do. Come on, we should leave. We're not going to learn anything else here."

He said nothing as he followed her out. Though she hadn't said it, he knew what drove her to leave: fear.

Not that he blamed her in the slightest.


	12. Chapter 12: Madness

**Chapter Twelve: Madness**

* * *

When the two returned to Grant's train, he greeted them with a wide smile. "There you two are!" he shouted as they boarded, shortly before noticing the cold look on Sarah's face. "Sarah, what happened?"

Sarah looked to him, then said, "The Sinistrals have returned."

A wide-eyed grimace spread over Grant's face. "What? How do you know that?"

"We found the bandit hideout. Everyone there had been slaughtered." She paused for a second as Grant shuddered. "One bandit was barely clinging to life…before she died, she said Amon's name, said that he would 'kill us all'."

"Bu-but how do you know she was right?"

Alix leaned against the wall, crossing his arms and closing his eyes. "I could sense an incredible residual energy from that place and the dying bandit. Whatever was there was truly powerful."

"She said that Amon drove everyone mad," Sarah added. "I think…I think he drove them to turn on each other."

"I…I…I've heard that such is the power of the Sinistral of Chaos…" Grant took a step back, his wide eyes looking over Alix and Sarah as if Amon were standing behind one of them. "We have to go back. We have to warn the world. Did you tell the Sistol guard?"

Sarah lowered her head. "They didn't believe us…"

"What?"

"We had no proof," Alix said, shaking his head. "They even said that they would arrest us if we attempted to incite fear in the people over our belief that they've returned."

"They're mad!" Grant slammed his fist against a wall.

"Easy," Alix said, watching the scientist rub his hand.

Grant looked at the two. "Look, I believe you two are right. It's been one hundred years since their last appearance—two hundred years, three hundred years. A simple pattern."

"Let's just hope that the Parthenope guard believes that. Or anyone else."

* * *

As the train approached Parthenope, the train began to slow down. "What's going on?" Sarah asked, looking out the window.

Alix walked into the engine room, where Grant was pulling down on a lever. Ahead of them, the track that led into the city was blocked by a large wooden fence. "What's that?" Alix asked.

"I don't know!" Grant said. "That wasn't there when we left!"

The train came to a stop inches from the barricade. "Some guardsmen are coming," said Grant, starting towards the door.

Stepping out of the train with Sarah and Alix behind him, Grant called to the guardsmen, "What's going on? Why is there a barricade on the Shaia Rail track?"

The two guards glanced to each other. "Orders from Queen Teresa. No one's supposed to enter or leave Parthenope."

"What?" Alix asked, glancing past the guards to the barricade. "Why?"

"Please, we have to enter the city," Sarah said. "We have urgent news for the city guard and the Queen."

"I'm afraid that we cannot make exceptions," said the guardsman with an uneasy frown. "You'll…"

"This is insane," Alix said, shaking his head. "Get out of the way."

The two guards looked to each other. "We know," said the second guard. "The entire guard voiced their concerns, but the guard captain was adamant on enforcing the order."

"Amon!" Sarah gasped, her eyes wide. "This must be Amon's work!"

"Amon?" the second guard asked.

"You mean…" said the first guard, "…the Sinistral, Amon?"

"Yes! We have reason to believe that the Sinistrals have returned. We need to warn the world of their return!"

"Uhhh…" said the first guardsman. "We'll be in trouble if the captain finds out that we've let you in, but…we'll let you three in."

The guards led the three to the wooden fence, unlatching the barricade enough for the three to slip into the city. "Watch yourselves," said the guard before closing the barricade.

"Come, let's get to my lab," Grant said, leading the way.

As they passed through the streets, Alix saw that no one was out in the city. It was unusual for Parthenope to be this empty, just as unusual as it was for the city guard to be prohibiting entry to the city.

The three slipped inside Grant's laboratory. He led the way into a back room with several chairs. "So I guess the two of you want to figure out what's going on," Grant said as he sat down.

"Of course!" Sarah said. "It could be Amon's work. Sowing the seeds of chaos…"

"But why? Just to terrorize the people of the city?" asked Alix, leaning against a wall and crossing his arms.

"Something is wrong, Alix. Whatever's caused this, we have to stop it. Will you help us, Mr. Shaia?"

"Please, call me Grant," Grant said. "I'll do what I can, I suppose. I'd like my Shaia Rail station back."

"Where do we start?" Alix asked.

"…I want to check on Muse," Sarah said, frowning. "Then we'll decide what to do."

"If you say so," Grant said. "Maybe she knows more about what's going on in Parthenope."

* * *

Muse was stepping out of her small white house when the three approached. "Muse!" Sarah cried, running towards her.

She flung her arms around Muse, hugging her tightly. "Sarah?" Muse said, taking a second to return the gesture. "The Queen decreed that no one was allowed to enter or leave the city…how did you get in?"

"A pair of guards let us in." Sarah let go of her blushing love. "Muse, we've heard about what's happened. Is there anything else you can tell us about what's been going on?"

"I've kept to myself lately. I'm sorry I don't know more…"

"It's okay, Muse. I'm just happy you're safe. We're going to figure out what's going on."

"Sarah, no!" Muse took her hands.

"I have to, Muse." Sarah lowered her head for a second. Alix knew what she would say next. "Muse, the Sinistrals may have returned."

"W-what?" Muse gasped, her eyes growing wide. She glanced past Sarah to Alix, then asked, "What makes you think that?"

"It's a long story." Sarah wrapped her arms around Muse, hugging her tightly. "If it's true…then I have to fight them."

"No! Sarah, please don't!"

Alix glanced to Grant. The scientist bore a goofy grin and a slight blush.

"Muse, I have to fight to protect everyone. To protect you." She let go of Muse, then said, "It might not be the case. But I still have to investigate whatever's going on with Queen Teresa. It might be best for you to stay inside."

"Al-alright, Sarah." Her cheeks shone with fresh tears. "But please be careful."

"I will." Sarah leaned in for a quick kiss.

Her face deep red, Muse looked to Alix and Grant. "Please take care of yourselves, and Sarah."

"Of course," Grant said, his grin remaining on his face. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Muse. I'm Grant Shaia."

"The pleasure is mine," Muse said in a quiet voice, stepping forward and taking Grant's extended hand. "And Alix…be careful."

He nodded in response. Muse walked to the door of her house, then gave a small wave before hurrying inside and closing the door behind her.

A second of silence passed, unusual for a city that was as busy as Parthenope often was. Finally, Grant said, "Are you two always like that?"

Sarah turned around, glaring at Grant. "Is…is it really any of your business?" she snapped.

Grant let out a round of laughter. "No offense intended, Sarah. You two are just adorable!"

Her face red, Sarah said, "Alright, let's get going. Are you two coming?"

"Of course!" Grant said. "But what'll we do? Just walk up to the Queen and ask what's up?"

Sarah raised a hand and opened her mouth, but stopped before she said a word. "…you're right. Confronting the Queen directly might not help. Should we sneak into the castle?"

"You really think we'll be able to sneak inside?" Alix asked, raising an eyebrow. "Or that we'll find anything?"

"It's worth a try. Let's go!"

Alix looked to Grant, who was still grinning and snickering to himself. As Sarah started off, Grant followed behind her. Alix shook his head and chased after the two.

* * *

The street that led to Parthenope Castle led through the richest part of the city, where all of the roads and buildings were made of pristine white stone. Alix had never had any business in this part of town,

The castle reached into the sky, its white towers adorned with azure spires. The gate into the castle courtyard was closed, with two guards standing in front. "Do you think we're going to get through?" asked Alix.

"It's worth a try," Sarah said, approaching the two guards. "Excuse me, I was wonderi—"

"Back off!" said the female guard, her hand taking hold of her sheathed sword. "No one may approach Parthenope Castle."

"Why not?" asked Alix.

"Queen's orders! Leave at once or we shall arrest the three of you!"

Sarah led the group away from the gate. "So much for that. We'll have to find another way in. Are there any other entrances to the castle?"

"Maybe there's a secret passage," Grant said. "An escape route out of the castle that we could use to get in."

"Perhaps one of the other guards might be able to help us," Sarah said. "Let's go."

* * *

The three returned to the barricade. Alix pushed it open slightly, prompting one of the guards who stood outside to peek into the crack. "It's you three?" the guard said with a raised eyebrow. "What are you doing back here?"

"We're looking for a way into Parthenope Castle," Sarah said. "Are there any secret passages into the castle?"

The guard looked around, then slipped past the barricade. "There is," he said, glancing in the direction of the city's center. "You know that big mermaid fountain? One of the passages come out there. In times of distress, the city guards assemble at the fountain and unlock it to let those within know that we're ready. But both ends can be opened from within…"

"Do the guards have keys?"

The guard nodded, then reached for his belt. "A few of us do. I have one. Take it, but be careful. That passage hasn't been used for decades. There's a few traps within and they may not operate properly."

Sarah took the key from the guardsman. "Thank you. I promise that we'll find out what's going on."

"Good luck," the guard said. "I wish I could help, but if word gets out about one of us disobeying the Queen and our captain…" The guard didn't finish his sentence before closing the barricade.

"Let's get going," Alix said.

* * *

Grant was the first to approach the mermaid fountain. "Never cared that much for this," he said, walking around the edge of the fountain. "But where do we put the key?"

Sarah started to look around the fountain's edge with Grant. After a few seconds, Alix climbed into the fountain, walking up to the mermaid. He investigated the lute that the mermaid held, looking along its length and at its bottom—

There was a small slot on the bottom of the lute. "Sarah, this must be the keyhole."

She held out the key to him. "I'm not getting wet," she said with a small smile.

"What kind of attitude is that?" asked Grant as Alix slid the key into the slot.

The water stopped shooting from the fountain. After a few secounds, the fountain started to rumble. Alix almost lost his balance before he took hold of the mermaid's lute, keeping himself steady as the fountain started to rise up.

It came to a stop, and when Alix looked, he saw that the fountain had risen several feet off of the ground. "Well, what do you know?" Grant said, looking into the opening underneath the fountain. "What do you think is down there?"

"No use in guessing," Alix said, jumping off of the fountain and drawing his sword. "Let's get going."

Sarah drew one of her short swords, holding a faint magical light in her other hand. She started down the steps within, Grant following behind her and Alix taking the lead.

The staircase went down for some distance until it ended in a square chamber. The walls and the door before them were made of marble, with the floor consisting of nine large tiles. Sarah started towards the door, shining the light in her palm over its surface. "It doesn't look like there's any way to open this…"

Grant stepped onto the tile on Sarah's left side. "I don't see anything eith—"

The tile beneath Grant opened up beneath him.

"Grant!" Alix shouted, his call inaudible above Grant's echoing scream as he fell into the darkness.

Sarah knelt down by the trapdoor. "Grant!" she screamed, aiming her light down. Alix couldn't see the bottom of the chute that their friend had fallen down.

"Come on, Alix!" Sarah said, swinging her legs in front of her and dropping down the hole.

"Sarah, wait!" Alix said, staring down the hole as her and the light vanished into the darkness.

Before he could jump down after them, the trapdoor closed with a click. Alix stamped on the trapdoor, but it wouldn't open up again. "Damn!" What if that chute led only to their deaths?

His thoughts trailed off as he heard the door near him slide open. Alix turned to face it, just as a sound began to drift down the corridor that had been revealed.

It sounded like…a woman singing.

Biting his lip, Alix took his sword in both hands as he charged down the corridor. He knew it had to be some sort of trap, but, as he told himself, there weren't any other options. He could only hope that Grant and Sarah would be fine…

…wherever they had ended up.


End file.
